UMBC is one of six universities nationwide selected to host the “Engaging Scientists in the Science and Religion Dialogue” project, administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER). DoSER was established to facilitate communication between scientific and religious communities, understanding that these communities overlap. No matter your background, it can present specific challenges to communicate your work effectively to diverse groups of people. And yet, communicating the value of science to all is so important if we are to “advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people.”
Open house: Taking the pulse of the UMBC community
9:30 – 11 a.m., Lower Flat Tuesdays
Stop by Lower Flat Tuesdays to record or write a brief message about your thoughts on the relationship between science and faith. Staff from UMBC’s Mosaic Center will be available to help facilitate conversation.
Workshop for Scientists: Science communication and engagement with religious publics
Noon – 4 p.m., Library 7th Floor
This workshop is open to UMBC STEM researchers at the graduate student level and above. Lunch begins at noon, and the formal program will begin promptly at 1 p.m. Attendees are strongly encouraged to arrive early to enjoy lunch and begin dialogue with their colleagues. Registration and more details are available here.
Public Panel: Science engagement and dialogue with faith communities
5:30 – 7 p.m., University Center Ballroom
This panel discussion is open to the public and will be followed by a reception. Register here.
Panelists:
Rabbi Geoff Mitelman
Rabbi Mitelman founded Sinai and Synapses, an organization with expertise in constructive discourse on science and society topics with religious communities. He was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Religion and Jewish studies. Rabbi Mitelman led the congregation of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester for seven years, and his writing on the intersection of religion and science has appeared widely.
Dr. Pamela Payne-Foster
Dr. Payne-Foster is a preventive medicine/public health physician who is an associate professor in the Department of Community and Rural Medicine and deputy director of the Institute for Rural Health Research at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa Regional Campus. She has expertise in community health partnerships with churches and other faith communities.
Dr. Altaf Saadi
Dr. Saadi is a neurologist and fellow at the National Clinical Scholars Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she focuses on promoting healthcare leadership in health policy, health services, and community-partnered research. Dr. Saadi is a scientist of faith, and she is active in social justice and science-informed advocacy in the public sphere.
Dr. Caitlin Shrein
Dr. Shrein is strategic communications editor at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a science communicator specializing in anthropology and evolution. Her doctoral research examined the relationship between human evolution education and students’ interest in science and their decision-making about social issues with a scientific basis, such as climate change. She particularly focused on life sciences pedagogy that is sensitive to students’ culture, faith, and worldview.
STEM Living Learning Community facilitated discussion
5 – 6 p.m., Patapsco Hall classroom
Discussion led by Sarah Hansen, STEM communications manager, and Lucie Blauvelt, STEM LLC coordinator. Light snacks will be provided. All are welcome; you need not have attended the panel (although it’s encouraged) or be a member of the STEM LLC to join this conversation.
Meyerhoff Scholars, Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows, and McNair Scholars facilitated discussion
5 – 6 p.m., Meyerhoff Chemistry Building Room 120
Discussion led by Jason Ashe, Meyerhoff Graduate Fellow in psychology, and Michael Hunt, assistant director of the McNair Scholars Program. Both have expertise in the intersection of science and faith and are looking forward to conversing with you. This event is open to Meyerhoff- and McNair-affiliated community members.
Other groups committed to offering related sessions with details TBD include UMBC Hillel.
***More events organized by campus partners will be added as details are finalized.***
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Shrijana is a Student Staff Member at the Women’s Center. She is a co-facilitator of Women of Color Coalition and leading the Telling Our Stories Project.
Growing up in a family who used to stay up until 4 AM watching football (soccer), I can say with true honesty that passion for this sport has run through my blood from a very young age. My dad grew up as an F.C. Barcelona (Futbol Club Barcelona) fan and a football fan in general from watching the World Cup to other league games such as La Liga, the English Premier League, and the Bundesliga.
Watching football was the first activity that opened up and strengthened my bond with my dad.
As an only child in a brown family household, I often felt the need to be both the son and daughter to my parents. I became my dad’s best friend through football, my mom used to call us “Barcelona saathiharu” in Nepali which translates to “Barcelona friends” in English. My love for F.C. Barcelona inspired me to pursue learning Spanish in high school and college. The greatest attribute of this bond with my dad was that my gender never played a role in this situation. I never felt less in situations while watching games with him. He taught me a lot and listened to my opinions and rants as well. We shared victories, defeats, along with emotions of sadness, pride, and happiness. Gender never posed as a question between me and my dad.
I did not need to be his son to be his football buddy.
Luckily, this notion continued throughout my life. Even in middle school and high school, I would talk to my male friends with equal respect for football. They would listen to my points and believe me when I stated I was a football fan and F.C. Barcelona was my favorite team. However, this experience was short lived when I arrived at college.
“Are you a true soccer fan?”
“Name one player on the team besides Messi.”
“Who is the striker for Barcelona?”
These were questions that were asked of me by a male friend while I was wearing my F.C. Barcelona cap. I felt hurt that I was asked these series of questions because I was not believed to be a loyal sports fan. If I was a man, I would not be quizzed for my passion for football or any other sport. Why do I have to answer to a male to be validated for my interests? Although I do not blame my friend for asking these questions, it made me realize how women are delegitimized not just in sporting competitions but as audiences of sports as well.
Just like this meme expresses the sentiment I experienced, girls all over are not believed for watching sports. Yes, there might be fake fans among the mix just like fake fans among men; however, asking a girl question after question to find a fault in her passion does not take away her right of liking sports. And yes, it is also possible for a girl to know more about sports than a guy.
As I researched more about this topic on the internet (because where else would I found solidarity and angry rants) and talked to my friends, I found out that my feelings were not alone. There were multiple blogs and articles published about how I felt. Reading more on this topic made me revisit something else that someone had also previously said to me. I was once accused of being a sports fan to impress boys or get them to like me. News flash, the world does not revolve around men. Women are not doing anything for the approval of men whether to impress them or win them over. I started watching football before I even talked to a boy. Again, people assigning the need for validation from men to women here continues.
There are still men out there in all age groups that believe a woman is incapable of having a passionate in-depth conversation about sports, football in my case. I may be seen as an “irrational feminist” especially for those men (or even my male friends reading this). Conversely, several girls and women would agree that they have felt discriminated against because they do not feel respected when discussing or watching sports.
My encounters will not stop me from voicing my opinions on football or my passion for it. I will be loud, I will root for my team, and I will debate those fans who think F.C. Barcelona is not the best team. This blog is not to discount the boys and men who respect women’s opinions on sports like my dad or other male friends who I have shared my passion with. I hope those boys and men out there who were unaware of this issue or have realized they are at fault for acting in this ignorant way serve as better allies for us female sports fans.
Lastly, to those boys who feel pressured to watch sports to fit in, you do not need the approval of society or others. Do not watch it if you are not into it. Being a sports fan should not be gendered. It is about who you are and what you like.
Similar articles regarding this issue:
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Morgan is a senior here at UMBC pursuing a BA in Media and Communications major with minors in English and Cinematic Arts. If she’s not working at the Women’s Center you can find her watching Ghost Shark (2013) with her friends.
My title is a lie.
If only because I actually want Michelle Obama and her magnificent arms to rule this country as a monarch and Sasha and Malia to be next in line for the throne. However, it does hold some truth to me and Coco Connors from the Netflix series, Dear White People puts it best:
“I don’t want to wake up every day and see how much this country despises [Black women].”
President Obama was vilified in the press for each and every decision he made. Along the way his legitimacy was questioned, his family was picked apart, and he was criticized for everything from his ears to his birth certificate. There were death threats, racist comics, and he was called a monkey and the n-word with a hard -er. As a Black woman, it hurt to know how much this country hates people who look like me for four years.
But then I think about Michelle Obama and her toned arms, larger than life personality, law degree, and unwavering dedication to this country and its people. And I think how she sits at the same intersection of blackness and femininity that I do. And I can see the news headlines. I can hear the news reports. I know what this country would think of her presidency. I know how she would be picked apart for every little thing she does in the same way people who look like her always are. Even if Michelle Obama were to become the president of this country, she cannot escape the continual dismantling of blackness and femininity that we face.
Take, for instance, the recent controversy surrounding what was perceived as aggressive behavior from Serena Williams during the US Open competition. After being accused of cheating during her match, she became increasingly frustrated and ultimately broke her racket on the court. Her behavior was broadcasted and criticized over and over again on social media and news networks. She was even drawn as a Jim Crowl like caricature by comic artist, Mark Knight.
Click here for an example of a Jim Crow comic in comparison.
Never mind that white men have been cursing at referees, breaking their rackets, and displaying the same, if not worse behavior for many years.
Serena Williams has always been a role model to me and many other young black women for as long as I can remember. In watching Serena become vilified over and over again, my heart is broken for her each time. However, there is a different kind of hurt and pain that comes with watching Serena Williams. This feeling I hold every time black women in the public eye are picked apart in the media is a personal one. I have never been surprised though. In Netflix series Dear White People, Coco Connors, a black, female character is faced with a seemingly simple and what one would think is a joy-inducing question for any black woman.
Blackness and femininity garner a very unique type of criticism from the world. In being black, your shoulders can often be weighed down with centuries of institutionalized racism, the modern day bombarding of negative images of black people, and just day to day fear and anxiety. However, black and femme folks also deal with sexism, a patriarchy stacked against us, and the continual violence inflicted on women. While we face outside criticism, there’s pressure from the black community itself to put your race above your gender identity.
As if the two can exist separately in the first place.
“Do you want Michelle Obama to become president?”
The question still rings with me. It was only a split second, an inconsequential scene that they moved on from. It stuck with me. Michelle Obama, an absolute, undeniably black force, she sits at the suffocating intersection of being black and being a woman. She would never be safe again.
Resources
The Racist, Sexist History of Tennis
Dear White People, Season 2 Epsiode 8
US Open 2018: Serena Williams fined over outbursts during final
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The Center for Democracy and Civic Life hosts a reflective journaling project to create space for individual reflection on personal experiences with important civic implications. UMBC student, faculty, staff, and alumni journal bearers respond to prompts from the Center by creating entries in their journals, and sometimes submitting photos of their entries to be shared publicly. This sharing can take the form of social media posts like this, art projects, or conversations at journal bearer gatherings.
If you’d like to be involved with the journaling project, send us an email: civiclife@umbc.edu.
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Samiksha Manjani is a Student Staff member at UMBC’s Women’s Center. She is a Political Science and Sociology double-major graduating in May 2019.
Eating around other people has become the bane of my existence. I don’t remember the last time I’ve eaten in peace without the “food police” (family, friends, strangers, etc) hitting me with a microaggression about my food choices. Receiving these microaggressions day in and day out has made the simple task of eating daunting and anxiety-ridden.
Here are just SOME of the scenarios that I have been in:
Whenever I order a salad: “What, are you on a diet?”
Family members when they see me eating only a salad.
Whenever I order anything other than a salad: “Do you really need that?”
What these situations demonstrate is that it doesn’t actually matter what I’m eating when I get these microaggressions. In fact, it demonstrates that food policing has nothing to do with the food itself. Food policing is really about policing women’s bodies, sizeism, and buying into the economics of diet culture.
Policing Women’s Bodies: The Feminine Ideal
Our patriarchal society begins policing women’s bodies in early childhood. Women are taught from an early age that our appearances define our sense of worth in society, and that thinness directly correlates to value. Furthermore, because we live in a heterosexist world, we’re taught that the judges of our appearances are essentially men. Thus, we’re indoctrinated early on to strive towards a beauty standard that is both largely rooted in the male gaze and is entirely unattainable. This message is constantly reinforced by the institutions in our lives: from schools, the media, and even from our own families sometimes. We’re constantly told that we should pay attention to our appearances and maintain the right body size. But what exactly encompasses this beauty standard regarding body size?
Click to view slideshow.Historically, the American beauty standard favored plumper bodies. Prior to the mid-20th century, robust bodies were considered to be the feminine ideal. Larger body size was considered indicative of fertility and wealth. Famous beauty icons even into the 20th century, like Marilyn Monroe, were heavy set. Advertisements at the time sold products meant to help women gain weight, not lose weight (seems almost impossible to imagine, I know). Full stomachs, thick thighs, and fat (in the “right” places) were considered healthy & desirable.
Since the mid-20th century, we’ve seen a shift in the beauty ideal from larger bodies to thinner bodies. By the 1960s, the feminine ideal was slender and wispy. In just 10 years, the ideal body size shifted immensely from women with bodies like Marilyn Monroe to bodies like Twiggy. This trend of willowy and thin bodies (like that of Kate Moss) continued to be the feminine ideal throughout the 90s.
Today, the ideal body size still favors thin bodies. American society idealizes an hourglass figure with measurements of about 36-26-36 inch measurements (bust-waist-hips). As you can see, the waist measurement is significantly smaller than the chest and hip measurements.
The current beauty standard presents American women with a conundrum (in the way unrealistic beauty standards always do). As the measurements listed above and current beauty icons such as the Kardashians demonstrate, the ideal body is simultaneously curvy and thin at the same time. While heavy-set busts and hips are considered ideal, so are small waists, thin arms and slender legs. The ideal weight for American women is around 128 pounds, yet the average weight for American women aged 20+ is 168.5 pounds.
The Kardashians
Sizeism
This beauty standard has real-life consequences for American women. This is because we have associated body size with women’s sense of worth in American society; such that those who are closer to the beauty standard, have higher social value in our society. Therefore, women who have or are close to this ideal body size are considered more worthy. We associate positive values with women who meet the ideal body size.
This phenomenon is called thin privilege. Thin privilege means that individuals who move through the world in a thin body are granted certain advantages and immunities over people who are not thin. What’s important to remember is that it doesn’t matter whether you actually “feel thin” or not to have thin privilege. If other people perceive you as thin, then you maintain an advantage.
On the other hand, women who do not meet this ideal body size and are larger often deal with sizeism. Sizeism is the prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s size (aka: “body shaming,” “fat shaming”). Sizeism is rooted in fatphobia, which is the fear and dislike of obese people and/or obesity.
Sizeism can have severe consequences: one consequence is fat discrimination such as verbal and physical aggression, increased scrutiny of eating habits and extreme pressure to go on dangerous diets, increased health insurance premiums, being provided inferior medical care or being denied certain medical procedures, and/or being judged as “lazy,” “stupid,” and/or “weak.”
Fundamental to our sizeist culture is the notion that being overweight or obese is the result of diminished morality; being heavy is seen as the embodiment of gluttony, sloth, etc. Additionally, because of the deep-rooted belief in self-reliance in American culture, body size is regarded as completely under the control of the individual. Therefore, being heavy or obese is considered to be caused by destructive individual behavior. Ironically, however, we often engage in destructive individual behavior because of the constant and toxic societal pressure to be unattainably thin (e.g. skipping meals).
Here is an advertisement that a shampoo company ran which I think perfectly exemplifies the attainability of the ideal body:
“Your breasts may be too big, too saggy, too pert, too flat, too full, too far apart, too close together, too A cup, too lopsided, too jiggly, too pale, too padded, too pointy, too pendulous or just two mosquito bites. But with Dep styling products, at least you can have your hair the way you want it. Make the most of what you’ve got.”
As this ad demonstrates, no matter how you look, even if you’re the closest to the ideal body size, it’s still not enough. Despite this, we still strive incredibly as a society to meet a body size that for many of us is simply not possible. Why?
Diet Culture
One of the main driving forces of this unrealistic female body ideal is the diet industry. The diet industry is worth $66.3 billion; selling everything and anything from diet pills to meal plans to member-based fitness clubs.
The diet industry’s primary target? Women. The diet industry, for all the good it may or may not do, profits off of women feeling insecure about their bodies.
Many of the products being peddled can contain harmful ingredients. These products are often advertised by famous artists and celebrity influencers. For-example, many celebrities have endorsed the newest trend in diet products: diet teas. Many diet teas contain senna, which has been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration as a laxative. Although senna can be helpful to combat occasional constipation, the FDA has warned that prolonged use (like in a diet tea) could cause liver, kidney, and colon problems. Despite this, many celebrity influencers still promote diet teas.
The pervasiveness of diet culture makes it nearly impossible to “just ignore it.” As a result, eradicating it is bound to be a long and difficult process. Truthfully, it would probably require an overhaul of the entire system, but through certain steps, we can begin to diminish its effects.
One way is to actively support and be a proponent of body diversity. The body diversity or body positive movement is the acceptance of all human body types. It is rooted in the belief that all human beings should have a positive body image, and be accepting of their own bodies as well as the bodies of others. It also understands that body size is not the same thing as health.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “bikini bodies.” You may have also at some point fretted over the idea of wearing a bathing suit to the pool or beach (lord knows I have). The diet industry would have you believe that, in order to have a good bikini body, you must go on a diet in order to be the right size in the right areas. With a body positivity lens, we would say that ALL bodies are bikini bodies if there’s a bikini on your body!
Continuing to raise awareness and celebrate body diversity is essential to disrupting the diet industry. There are so many people already doing this amazing work:
Not only should individuals adopt a body positivity outlook, companies should also do so through cause marketing. Cause marketing refers to marketing strategies that promote a social cause instead of a product. This can be especially potent when the cause is relevant for the brand and has meaning for the brand’s customers. Perfect examples of cause marketing include Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign or American Eagle’s Inclusive Aerie Real lingerie line. When cause marketing is successful, companies are able to expand their customer-base and increase sales. Since American Eagle adopted its Aerie Real campaign, it has continuously reported growths in their profits.
In fact, we can see how refusing to adopt a body positivity lens can hurt a company. Victoria’s Secret is an extremely famous lingerie brand and has been known for its famous Victoria’s Secret Fashion show. However, it is also known for its severely limited sizing range. The company has overtly declined to be inclusive; most recently, its execs declared that they aren’t willing to hire Trans or Plus-Size Models in their VS Fashion Show because, in their own words, “the show is a fantasy. ” (*rolls eyes*).
In the last few years, Victoria’s Secret has consistently reported that its sales have been in decline. Understandably so, considering that new brands supporting body diversity are popping up: lingerie brands like Savage X Fenty, Torrid, Universal Standard, and more. Additionally, when beauty conglomerates like Dove openly adopt a body diversity message and increase their already high sales, there really is no way for Victoria’s Secret to keep up. As these companies demonstrate, adopting a body positivity campaign can only help increase profits and visibility.
Adopting a body diversity outlook could only help us, not hurt us. If my food popo adopted a body positive mindset, they’d understand that I know what’s best for me, my body, and my health. They’d also understand that my body size is not the same as my health. Ultimately, sizeism and unattainable beauty standards only exist to point out the obvious: we are all unique, different people; beautiful in our own ways.
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Program: Research Grant
Agency: State of Maryland- Department of Planning
Next Deadline: March 1st, 2019
The 2020 Census Grant Program was created by the General Assembly in 2018 as a vehicle to support the accurate counting of the population of the State and its local jurisdictions and the collection of basic demographic and housing information of the population of the State for the 2020 Census. The Program offers matching grants to non-profit organizations and local jurisdictions in their sponsorship of activities designed to support successful enumeration and data collection efforts during the 2020 Census. Funds are administered by the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP); the statutorily-defined Census Grant Panel, which awards the grants, is staffed by the Department of Legislative Services (DLS).
Grant awards will range from a suggested minimum of $25,000 to a suggested maximum of $250,000. Grantees are required to provide a dollar-for-dollar match, which may be either cash or in-kind, as further defined in the Program Guidelines.
Program: Postdoc
Agency: Yale University
Next Deadline: March 4th, 2019
The Yale University Department of History invites applications for a Cassius Marcellus Clay Postdoctoral Fellowship in United States environmental history. The fellow will be affiliated with Yale Environmental History and the Yale Environmental Humanities Initiative and is expected to participate in their activities and to teach one course during the two years of the fellowship. Salary is $58,000 plus benefits and a research budget. Start date August 1, 2019. PhD requirements must be completed by the beginning of the appointment and the PhD must have been awarded after spring 2016. Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Yale values diversity among its students, staff, and faculty and strongly welcomes applications from women, persons with disabilities, protected veterans, and underrepresented minorities. A cover letter (including a statement of qualifications and research interests), a CV, a chapter-length writing sample, a one-page proposal for a course, including illustrative readings, and three letters of reference should be submitted to http://apply.interfolio.com/59960 . Review of applications will begin March 4, 2019.
https://history.yale.edu/about-us/current-job-searches/postdoctoral-fellowships
Program: Research Grant
Agency: NSF
Next Deadline: March 4th, 2019
Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) tackles convergent scientific challenges in the rapidly changing Arctic, that are needed to inform the economy, security and resilience of the Nation, the larger region and the globe. Major goals of NNA include:
Improved understanding of Arctic change and its local and global effects that capitalize on innovative and optimized observation infrastructure, advances in understanding of fundamental processes, and new approaches to modeling natural environment, social and built systems interactions.
New enhanced research communities that are diverse, integrative and well-positioned to carry out productive research at the intersections of Arctic social, natural, and built systems.
Research outcomes that inform U.S. national security and economic development needs and enable resilient, sustainable Arctic communities.
https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/arctic/nna/index.jsp
Program: Research Grant
Agency: NSF
Next Deadline: March 6th, 2019
Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier
A proposal for a research grant in this program must focus on advancing fundamental understanding of future work, and potential improvements to work, workplaces, workforce preparation, or work outcomes for workers and society. It must be convergent research that addresses the technological as well as the human and societal dimensions and potential impact of future work, and in doing so, make significant contributions to both intellectual merit and broader impact. Achieving this goal requires integration and convergence of disciplines across computer science, engineering, learning sciences, research on education and workforce training, and social, behavioral, and economic sciences. A convergent perspective is essential to understand and shape long-term social and economic drivers, so that advanced intelligent technology will strengthen the social fabric. A convergent perspective also provides insights into education and re-skilling, so that the benefits of emerging technology can be conferred upon all citizens.
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505620&WT.mc_id=USNSF_43&WT.mc_ev=click
Program: Research Grant
Agency: NSF
Next Deadline: March 6th, 2019
The Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program) seeks to enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education at HSIs and to increase retention and graduation rates of undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at HSIs. In addition, the HSI Program seeks to build capacity in undergraduate STEM education at HSIs that typically do not receive high levels of NSF grant funding. The National Science Foundation (NSF) established the HSI Program in response to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31) and the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (P.L. 114-329). The HSI Program is aligned with NSF’s commitment to increase access for underrepresented groups to the Nation’s STEM enterprise.
In designing the HSI Program, NSF sought community input by several mechanisms (https://nsf.gov/ehr/HSIProgramPlan.jsp) and has continued to gather community input to inform future components of, or modifications to, the HSI Program.
To be eligible for HSI Program funding, the institution serving as the awardee organization must, at the time of application, be accredited, offer undergraduate educational programs in STEM, and satisfy the definition of an HSI as specified in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a). Institutions should review the legislation before certifying their eligibility for this program (http://legcounsel.house.gov/Comps/HEA65_CMD.pdf).
The HSI Program will accept proposals in two tracks:
Track 1: Building Capacity funds projects up to $2,500,000 for up to 5 years and is open to all eligible institutions. This track has three priority areas: Critical Transitions; Innovative Cross-Sector Partnerships; and Teaching and Learning in STEM.
Track 2: HSIs New to NSF funds projects up to $300,000 for up to 3 years and is open only to eligible institutions that have never received NSF funding, or that have not received NSF funding in the five years preceding the proposal deadline.
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505512&WT.mc_id=USNSF_43&WT.mc_ev=click
Program: Postdoc
Agency: Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia
Next Deadline: March 14th, 2019
The three postdoctoral Moral Ecology Fellowships are for the full academic year of 2019–2020 and are renewable for 2020–2021, depending on performance. Each fellowship carries an annual stipend of $45,000–$49,000, as well as full-time benefits and office space at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In addition to doing their own research, recipients of these fellowships are expected to produce at least three journal article manuscripts based on analyses of the National Survey of Moral Formation data, including a proposal of diagnostic tools that could assist schools and other institutions in evaluating the conditions in which character and citizenship are formed.
Fellowships will be awarded on the basis of how well the applicant’s scholarly interests reflect and advance the intellectual mission of the Institute in general and the Institute’s Colloquy on Culture & Formation in particular. Candidates will also be selected based on experience analyzing complex data sets.
https://iasculture.org/scholars/fellows/apply
Email: IASCFellowsInfo@virginia.edu
Program: Research Grant for Doctoral Students
Agency: Russell Sage Foundation
Next Deadline: March 15th, 2019
The foundation’s Behavioral Economics program supports research that uses behavioral insights from psychology, economics, sociology, political science and other social sciences to examine and improve social and living conditions in the United States. Appropriate projects will demonstrate explicit use of psychological concepts in the motivation of the research design and the preparation of the results. Experimental projects that do not have substantial behavioral content (such as market experiments testing neoclassical ideas) or substantial economic content (such as psychology experiments with no economic choices or strategic or market implications) will not be considered.
For example, to what extent can choice architecture improve decision making in various social, economic, political, and educational contexts? To what extent do behavioral biases affect the use of welfare programs and recipients' wellbeing? More detailed examples of the types of research topics of interest are highlighted in the Behavioral Economics RFP and a description of recent grants can be found here.
There is a $7,500 lifetime limit for the BE Small Grants. BE Small Grants applications are accepted on a rolling basis. We expect to fund up to 10-12 proposals each year.
http://www.russellsage.org/how-to-apply/small-grants
Program: Funded Conference
Agency: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Next Deadline: March 22nd, 2019
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) will host the Health Disparities Research Institute (HDRI) from August 12-16, 2019, in Bethesda, MD. The HDRI aims to support the research career development of promising minority health/health disparities research scientists early in their careers and stimulate research in the disciplines supported by health disparities science.
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/cahss/posts/82124
Email: NIMHDHealthDC@mail.nih.gov.
Program: Research Grant
Agency: NSF
Next Deadline: March 25th, 2019
NSF’s Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR) Big Idea is a national-scale activity to enable new modes of data-driven discovery that will allow fundamental questions to be asked and answered at the frontiers of science and engineering. Through this NSF-wide activity, HDR will generate new knowledge and understanding, and accelerate discovery and innovation. The HDR vision is realized through an interrelated set of efforts in:
Foundations of data science;
Algorithms and systems for data science;
Data-intensive science and engineering;
Data cyberinfrastructure; and
Education and workforce development.
Each of these efforts is designed to amplify the intrinsically multidisciplinary nature of the emerging field of data science. The HDR Big Idea will establish theoretical, technical, and ethical frameworks that will be applied to tackle data-intensive problems in science and engineering, contributing to data-driven decision-making that impacts society.
Harnessing the Data Revolution: Transdisciplinary Research In Principles Of Data Science (HDR TRIPODS) aims to bring together the electrical engineering, mathematics, statistics, and theoretical computer science communities to develop the theoretical foundations of data science through integrated research and training activities. Phase I, described in this solicitation, will support the development of small collaborative Institutes. Phase II (to be described in an anticipated future solicitation, subject to availability of funds) will support a smaller number of larger Institutes, selected from the Phase I Institutes via a second competitive proposal process. All HDR TRIPODS Institutes must involve significant and integral participation by researchers representing at least three of the four aforementioned communities. Please note that the ordering of the four communities is alphabetical and is not meant to emphasize any one discipline over another.
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505347
Program: Research Grant
Agency: Department of State
Next Deadline: March 29th, 2019
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for research on the impact of emerging technologies on human rights. In furtherance of U.S. government policy to “maintain U.S. leadership in emerging technologies” per the U.S. National Cyber Strategy, DRL seeks to support research initiatives that explore and assess the potential human rights impacts, opportunities, and threats of emerging technological innovations globally. DRL invites organizations interested in potential funding to submit proposals outlining program concepts that reflect this goal.
https://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/288817.htm
Email: support@grants.gov
Program: Teaching Grant
Agency: CAHSS, UMBC
Next Deadline: April 8th, 2019
UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) is pleased to announce the next round of the Dean’s Pedagogy and Teaching (PAT) Fund. The grants are open to CAHSS faculty members twice per academic year to support pedagogical development, and are available to all faculty—tenured/tenure-track, lecturers, adjunct, and graduate teaching assistants (excepting visiting faculty)—who teach courses in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Funds awarded will be available through the end of the following fiscal year (i.e. funds awarded in Academic Year 2018-2019 must be used no later than June 2020).
https://cahss.umbc.edu/cahss-grants-for-pedagogy-and-teaching-pat-awards/
Email: ssusanne@umbc.edu
Contact: Susan Sutton
Program: Research Grant
Agency: CAHSS, UMBC
Next Deadline: April 8th, 2019
The CAHSS Dean’s Research Fund (CDRF) provides a biannual competitive funding opportunity for up to $5,000 to support the research endeavors of CAHSS tenured and tenure-track faculty and lecturers. Funds will support developing or established scholarly and creative projects. Faculty on visiting or short-term appointments are not eligible to apply. Awarded funds will be available through the end of the following fiscal year. Following completion of the grant term, awardees will be required to provide evidence of work produced and a short report describing how funds were spent and how any equipment purchased has been designated for continued College use.
https://cahss.umbc.edu/cahss-deans-research-fund/
Email: ssusanne@umbc.edu
Contact: Susan Sutton
Congratulations to the following faculty, students, and alumni for their recent accomplishments!
Amy Bhatt, Gender, Sexuality, and Women's studies, speaks about the rising interest of young South Asian women to become politically involved. New Jersey’s First South Asian Woman Mayor Is Breaking Boundaries (Huffington Post) and how changes to the H4 visa may affect immigrant families in the U.S. The immigration battle that might push H-1B families to self-deport (Quartz)
Chris Curran, Public Policy, discusses restorative practices in schools.
Restorative practices may not be the solution, but neither are suspensions (The Conversation)
Leadership Baltimore County (The Daily Record)
Becca Scharf, Emergency Services/Public Policy PhD student, and Jennifer Lee Jenkins & Rick Bissell published an article on community paramedicine.
Lauren Hamilton Edwards, Public Policy, published an article on faculty inclusion.
Erle Ellis, Geography and Information System, agrees on the need to increase conversation. To keep the planet flourishing, 30% of Earth needs protection by 2030 (National Geographic)
Felipe Filomeno, Political Science and Global Studies, writes Op-Ed about the Walters Art Museum, Hackerman House and the shift to addressing a wider Baltimore audience. Baltimore's Hackerman mansion: 'a 'strong reminder of our common humanity' (Baltimore Sun)
Laura Girling, SAHAAP, just received an R21 award.
Chris Harried ’16, Sociology, participated as a Youth Commission Representative in the development of recommendations for teaching and learning. From a nation at risk to a nation of hope (The National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development)
George Lanoue, Political Science and Public Policy, publishes Op-Dd on role of the Fourth Circuit in HBCU case. 4th Circuit abdicates its role in Md. HBCU case (Baltimore Sun)
Elliott Lasson, Psychology, discusses performance reviews at work. What makes for an effective performance review (MPT)
Ryan Mihalic '98, Political Science, joined the board of Leadership for Baltimore County.
Roy Meyers, Political Science and Public Policy, discusses the impact of the last shutdown and the looming shutdown. 98: Can we shut down the shutdowns? (NPR: Marketplace)
Derek Musgrove, History, shares his thoughts on a conspiracy thriller called The Plan. Why is a former politician spending his time writing about conspiracy theories? It’s 2019. (The Washington Post)
Don Norris, Public Policy, (@UMBCPubPolicy) spoke to @Debtwire about cyber risk for municipal bond investors. debtwire.com/info/cyber-ris…
Bob Provine, Psychology, talks about laughter as a reaction to people, not humor. The best medicine: Decoding the hidden meanings of laughter (NPR)
Tom Schaller, Political Science, was on NPR's All Things Considered to discuss the situation involving the governor of Virginia. Democrats Nationwide Call For Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam To Resign (NPR)
Becca Scharf, Emergency Services/Public Policy PhD student, and Jennifer Lee Jenkins & Rick Bissell published an article on community paramedicine.
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Alexia Petasis is a student staff member at the Women’s Center. Alexia is pursuing an individualized studies degree with a concentration on social justice and dance. She is a co-facilitator for Pop-Culture Pop-Ups.
This past year, I went to see the San Francisco Ballet at the Kennedy Center for the premiere of new works from various choreographers in the nation. The show consisted of around eight separate dances; some solos, duets, and quartets. The dancers held my attention throughout the lengthy, three-program show as they moved with strength and elegance.
However, I quickly noticed the lack of racial/ethnic diversity on the stage. Under-representation is not a recent problem in the realm of classical or even contemporary ballet. This issue dates back to the 17th century when ballet first became popularized in the courts of European nobility and was, as one can imagine, plagued with discrimination and racism. Unfortunately, the whiteness that engulfed ballet back in those days still exists today, around 400 years later.
Admittedly, I can only speak about this issue from a privileged perspective. I always loved the style of ballet, but I question if my love for it is also correlated in part because I saw others who looked like me doing it. Even from the beginning of my dance training when I was 7 years old, I never believed ballet was an unattainable style of dance for me. The standard attire that is worn for ballet class are pink tights and pink ballet slippers; and though no one has “pink” skin, it is meant to represent closely the skin of white folks, once again perpetuating the notion that people of color are not even considered within this art form. (Significantly, while writing this blog, the New York Times released an article stating that Freed of London released new pointe shoes for black, Asian, and mixed raced dancers.)
Misty Copeland garnered the attention of the media and the dance community by being the first African-American woman to become a principal dancer (one who dances at the highest rank) for the American Ballet Theatre. Yet, the fact that she is still the only African-American woman in the nation to hold a principal role sheds light on the issue of the overwhelmingly large number of white ballet dancers and how they are given priority within this community. Nonetheless, Copeland is setting the stage and creating a path for other dancers of color to feel as though they, too, can do ballet.
In addition to the groundbreaking leadership of Misty Copeland, I wanted to uplift some companies and programs that are prioritizing racial and ethnic representation into the world of ballet.
The Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) was founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell, who had previously been the first black male dancer in the New York City ballet. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. he realized that there was still work to be done in America in making a difference for black individuals. Mitchell created DTH to, “present a ballet company of African-American and other racially diverse artists who perform the most demanding repertory at the highest level of quality.” The Dance Theatre of Harlem is trying to bring down barriers between Harlem and the world of ballet and extend the art to communities that have been predominantly ignored within the field. Doing this requires that opportunities reach out to individuals who are also of different social classes to make ballet classes available and affordable. To do this, DTH started the initiative of Dancing Through Barriers to bring people of all ages from the community to learn about the arts through an inclusive and equitable arts education program.
Another example is Project Plié an initiative started by the American Ballet Theatre to create a community within the world of ballet where the talent of people of color could be nurtured. The company, “grant[s] merit-based training scholarships to talented children of color; provides teacher training scholarships to teachers of color [and] grants intern scholarships to young arts administrators of color.” American Ballet Theatre’s CEO, Rachel Moore emphasizes the importance of diversity both on stage and behind the scenes.
With both these initiatives working to bring more black dancers to the stages, there remains still the need to share the history and the stories of black dancers in America. MoBBallet makes it their mission to “preserve, present, and promote the contributions and stories of Black artists in the field of ballet, reinstating a legacy that has been muted.” Their website features a timeline of the various schools, performances, and companies that have provided opportunities for black dancers as well as access to an e-zine, or electronic magazine, to preserve the history and progress made thus far. Organizations such as these are integral to the preserving and showcasing the strides of black individuals in an accessible way.
https://www.abt.org/community/diversity-inclusion/project-plie/#images-5
As a Women’s Center intern, I see many parallels between the work that is being done at the Women’s Center toward advancing gender equity and the work that is being done by these companies and programs to advance racial and ethnic representation in the ballet community. Their approach is similar to that of the Women’s Center, as they acknowledge that to enact change, we need to prioritize and center the voices of those who have been marginalized to create an inclusive campus climate. At the Women’s Center, we see and acknowledge the harm that is done to the communities of people that are underrepresented and whose voices are repeatedly silenced. Many other articles written about this issue speak on the economic inequalities, racial prejudice, and racism that are foundations for the discrimination in ballet. (see links below)
In writing this blog, I urge my dance friends to look around their classroom the next time they are in ballet class and see where the privilege still lies. I hope that we continue to work on expanding the number of people of color in the classroom, both as teachers and students, to nurture a more inclusive generation of ballet artists. We should prioritize representation of individuals on stage and continue to work towards creating an inclusive ballet community off-stage as well, as ballet educators and choreographers.
We will only begin to see ballet transform when we acknowledge that this lack of representation is still so pervasive in Western society and encourage the next generation of choreographers to cast more diverse dancers. Everyone should have equal opportunities and equal access to be a part of this art form. As an aspiring choreographer and teacher, I will do my part in seeing that change through.
Additional Readings:
https://www.pointemagazine.com/behind-ballets-diversity-problem-2412811909.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/15/opinion/black-dancers-white-ballets.html
https://www.abt.org/community/diversity-inclusion/project-plie/
https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/21/us/misty-copeland-ballet-race-boss-files/index.html
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