Last December, the GSA and our graduate student community lost our kind, passionate and hardworking President, Alex Rittle. His family and friends will be hosting an in-person Celebration of Life Event. 

Alex's family has confirmed that this event is open to anyone who would like to attend.

 As it stands, this event will be an informal memorial as well as a time to learn about and reflect on Alex's time with us

Please RSVP so the family can get an appropriate headcount.

https://www.evite.com/event/022EXELBNHGTEUIAEEPL6JRICL7UPI/rsvp

View on myUMBC »

Graduate students and postdocs interested in becoming faculty are welcome to participate in these free upcoming webinars from the Southern Regional Education Board, an organization committed to diversifying faculty (and making the academy a place scholars from underrepresented backgrounds want to be!).  

Join the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program  for our two-part webinar series on the topic of Tenure:

Part 1 - Achieving Tenure: Advice for Early Career Faculty
Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Part 2 - Tenure and Faculty Diversity
Tuesday, August 10, 2021 at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Diversifying the professoriate has long been voiced as a priority on many campuses, and goals around faculty diversity have become increasingly emphasized over the past year in light of the national conversation about race. However, most higher education institutions have not significantly increased the diversity of the faculty, particularly the diversity of their tenured faculty. For early career faculty of color, especially those who are first-generation students, navigating the tenure process can be complex and perplexing.

In Part 1 of our Tenure webinar series, SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program alumni panelists will walk through the basics of the tenure and promotion process, answer common questions, and provide insights based on their own experiences.

In Part 2 of our Tenure webinar series, SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program alumni panelists will discuss the relationship between tenure and faculty diversity, highlighting the current national discussion about high profile tenure cases.

The webinars will also reference the following:

SREB-DSP related resources:
Now is the Time to Focus on Faculty Diversity >
Student and Faculty Diversity in SREB States >

Tenure Webinar Series Part 1
Achieving Tenure: Advice for Early Career Faculty
When: August 3, 2021 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
 
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://sreb-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAqc-CsqzMuGNBESmuZiIt5cfGrrohWRQcP

Tenure Webinar Series Part 2
Tenure and Faculty Diversity
When: August 10, 2021 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://sreb-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJclfuiorjMrGdPT0mKnEDKO9DYuJ4_jIV-8
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

If you would like to submit questions for our panelists in advance, please email doctoral.scholars@sreb.org.

About the speakers: 

Veronica G. Martinez Acosta, Ph.D., is a professor of Biology and director of the Honors Program at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. She earned a Ph.D. in Zoology from Texas A&M University in the laboratory of Dr. Mark J. Zoran. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas under the direction of Dr. Bing Zang (now Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri). Dr. Martinez Acosta has studied systems-level neural plasticity in the annelid worm, Lumbriculus variegatus and in Drosophila melanogaster. Her lab continues to study molecular mechanisms governing neural regeneration and wound healing and the role of stem cell populations in these regenerative processes. She has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the Department of the Army in support of the research she carries out primarily with undergraduates. 

Dr. Martinez Acosta has won numerous awards for university teaching and service and has provided educational and professional development of faculty in diversity and inclusion at national meetings. In 2020, Dr. Martinez Acosta was named one of the 100 Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx scientists in America by Cell Mentor. She is a 2005 SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program graduate. More about Dr. Martinez Acosta >

Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead, Ph.D. is an associate professor of communication and African and African American Studies at Loyola University Maryland and, the founding director of The Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice. She is the host of the award-winning radio show Today with Dr. Kaye on WEAA, 88.9 FM and the 2021 recipient of a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Dr. Whitehead is the author of several books, including RaceBrave: new and selected works; Notes from a Colored Girl: The Civil War Pocket Diaries of Emilie Frances Davis; and Letters to My Black Sons: Raising Boys in a Post-Racial America. She is a K-12 master teacher in African American history; an award-winning curriculum writer and lesson plan developer; and an award-winning former Baltimore City middle school teacher.

In 2021, Dr. Whitehead was selected by the Baltimore Business Journal to receive the Leaders in Diversity Award. Prior to her work in academia, Dr. Whitehead was a documentary filmmaker with MetroTV, a PBS-affiliate, and a senior producer for Music Television Networks (MTV). She is a 2009 SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program graduate. More about Dr. Whitehead >

Joining the discussion panel for Part 2:

Oscar Holmes IV, Ph.D. is the associate dean of Undergraduate Programs, an associate professor of Management and the RUSE Director at Rutgers School of Business-Camden. Additionally, Dr. Holmes is the founder and CEO of WHConsulting Firm LLC and creator and host of Diversity Matters podcast. His research examines how leaders can maximize productivity and well-being through fostering more inclusive environments and has been published in several top-tier management journals and books. He earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in Management from The University of Alabama, M.L.A. from The University of Richmond and a B.S. with honors from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Dr. Holmes has won numerous awards for his scholarship and teaching including Poets & Quants 40 Under 40 Best Business School Professors and the Rutgers University Leaders in Faculty Diversity Award. He is a 2020 Lead New Jersey Fellow and is the creator and host of Beyond the Mill, a live Diversity Dialogues Talk Show at Rutgers-Camden. He is a 2012 SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program graduate. More about Dr. Holmes >