This year’s Winter Dissertation House start has truly been challenging but we have stepped up to meet the challenge.  The temperature outside today is in the single digits. The winter weather closed the UMBC campus on day 1.  Nonetheless, students stepped up and participated on line with many posts and updates of goals throughout the day. We are determined. Join us.

It’s winter and it’s cold. It’s the PERFECT time for you to join us for the PROMISE AGEP’s Winter 2014 Dissertation House Online. Click here to join. In addition to hosting the Winter 2014 Online Challenge, PROMISE will host a residential version of the Dissertation House on UMBC’s campus from January 21 to January 24, 2014 for UMBC’s students who registered in advance. Stay tuned for the Summer Dissertation House in July 2014 which will be available to doctoral students in programs throughout the University System on Maryland.

Unlike the residential programs that take place on individual campuses, the Dissertation House Online is open to any graduate student, from any university … anywhere! Join us online today.

It’s winter and it’s cold. It’s the PERFECT time for you to join us for the PROMISE AGEP’s Winter 2014 Dissertation House Online. Click here to join. In addition to hosting the Winter 2014 Online Challenge, PROMISE will host a residential version of the Dissertation House on UMBC’s campus from January 21 to January 24, 2014 for UMBC’s students who registered in advance. Stay tuned for the Summer Dissertation House in July 2014 which will be available to doctoral students in programs throughout the University System on Maryland.

Unlike the residential programs that take place on individual campuses, the Dissertation House Online is open to any graduate student, from any university … anywhere! Join us online today.

PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation is pleased to invite you to attend and participate in the 2014 University System of Maryland PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium and Professional Development Conference. This new conference revises the former PROMISE Research Symposium, and adds a professional development component that will prepare graduate students and postdoctoral fellows for faculty positions in STEM. This conference seeks to provide a venue that will allow students to present their work at any stage, receive feedback in preparation for presenting at larger venues, and provide training that will prepare participants for faculty careers.

This page will serve as the official webpage for the event. Please stay tuned for updates.

________________________________________________

• Date: Friday, February 28, 2014
• Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Location: Kim Engineering Building
  • University of Maryland College Park
  • Room: The Rotunda
  • Directions and Parking: http://www.eng.umd.edu/visitus/directions
• Registration: Free (includes meals)
• Attire: Business Casual

________________________________________________

This conference will feature STEM-based oral presentations, posters, and professional development seminars. Participants are invited to submit abstracts to participate in three oral categories, and one poster category.

Oral Category 1: Traditional Research Presentations

[7 minutes presentation, 3 minutes critique, 2 minutes of questions, traditional PowerPoint presentation]

Oral Category 2: TED-Styled Talks

[5 minute talks + 5 minutes for critique/questions, PowerPoint presentation with images only - no text]

Oral Category 3: Lightening Round Talks

[2 minute talks with timer on the screen, no PowerPoints, no critique.]

________________________________________________

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Arrive, Breakfast Refreshments, Registration, Poster Set-Up

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Opening Remarks and Traditional Research Presentations

Opening Remarks: Renetta G. Tull, Ph.D., Director, PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP (University System of Maryland) and Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development & Postdoctoral Affairs (UMBC)

Welcome: Ana Maria Pérez, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate for Diversity Initiatives, Office of Diversity Initiatives, The Graduate School, University of Maryland College Park

Oral Research Presentations

• Ashley J. Belle, UMCP
• Juan Valdez-Lopez, UMBC
• Kayla Lemons, UMBC
• William Easley, UMBC
• Viviana Monje-Galvan, UMCP

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Networking Break

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM Lightening Round Talks

• Alexander D. Smith, UMBC
• David Colón-Cabrera, UMCP
• Adegboyega Akinsiku, UMBC
• Cherre Jefferson, UMBC
• Eric Corbett, UMBC

11:15 AM – 12:00 Noon – Kickoff Ceremony for PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation

Moderator and Host: Dr. Charles Caramello, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland College Park

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Brit Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland

Dr. Kirwan’s Biography: http://www.usmd.edu/usm/chancellor/bio.html

12:00 PM - Poster Session & Buffet Lunch  

• Arundhathi Venkatasubramaniam, UMBC
• Saadi Habib, UMBC
• Bre-Onna DeLaine, UMB
• Kankindi Rwego, UMCP
• Jim Glenn, UMCP
• Afua Dennis, UMCP
• Kyana Beckles, UMBC
• Isaac Mativo, UMBC
• Rebekah Brown, UMB
• Alexander E. Holness, UMCP
• Sheniqua Brown, UMBC

1:00 PM Meeting of University System of Maryland Graduate Deans and STEM Deans  [Pepco Boardroom]

1:15 PM – “TED-Styled” Talks 

• Kailyn Cage, UMCP
• DeLauren McCauley, UMBC
• Christine H. Wang, UMCP

2:00 PM  - Professional Development Workshops

a) Planning in Advance for Tenure: Dr. Raheem Beyah (Associate Professor, Georgia Tech), Dr. William Robinson (Associate Professor, Vanderbilt University). [Kay Room]

Both Dr. Beyah and Dr. Robinson were AGEP students when they were in graduate school. Both now have tenure and are dedicating time and effort to training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to plan and prepare themselves now, so that they can be ready for future success as a tenured professor.

Dr. Beyah and Dr. Robinson lead the Academic Research Leadership Symposium, in conjunction with the National Society of Black Engineers. https://www.arlnetwork.org/symposia/

About Dr. Beyah: http://users.ece.gatech.edu/~rbeyah/

About Dr. Robinson: http://www.vuse.vanderbilt.edu/~robinswh/

b) “Radio Research” – Public Speaking: Scott Morgan, President of The Morgan Group

Scott Morgan, President of The Morgan Group of Washington, DC, provides media training and public speaking tips to a variety of organizations, companies, and universities. Morgan is a Senior Associate of the Abshire Inamori Leadership Academy, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in DC.

More about Scott Morgan:

The Morgan Group 

4:00 PM – Closing Reception & Awards Ceremony

________________________________________________

If you are interested in presenting, please follow the schedule below:

December 20, 2013: “Letter of Intent” to present (Email promisestaff@gmail.com with name, school, department, choice of oral category (1, 2, 3) or poster, and potential title of your presentation.)

“TED-Styled” and “Lightening Round” titles must be tailored to appeal to a general audience.

January 17, 2013, *New, of Dec. 23, 2013: Deadline for “Intent to Present” emails for Lightening Round and Poster Presentationsonly.  Everyone who expressed an “Intent to Present” as of Dec. 23, 2013, will be in line for the presentation style of their choice. Those who did not specify a category will be given a space for a poster. All of the slots in the “Traditional Presentation” Category #1, and the “TED-Styled Talk” Category #2, are taken, and we will not accept any more requests for those categories. We have some slots remaining in the “Lightening Round” Category #3, and we have slots remaining for posters.

January 31, 2014:Abstracts and the information below are required for all presentations types. (Email all materials to promisestaff@gmail.com, with the subject: “2014 PROMISE Research Symposium Presenter Information.”)

1. Formal Abstract (250 words or less).Biographical Sketch (250 words or less)
   • Font: 12 Point, Times New Roman
   • Heading, Left-justified:
     • Title (Bold)
     • Name (Italicized)
     • Department (No abbreviations)
     • University (No abbreviations)
2. General Summary of Graduate Research (250 words or less)
3. High Quality Photograph
4. Numbered List of up to 5 publications and or/presentations. Please give precedence to publications and conference proceedings as applicable.

________________________________________________

PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation is pleased to invite you to attend and participate in the 2014 University System of Maryland PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium and Professional Development Conference. This new conference revises the former PROMISE Research Symposium, and adds a professional development component that will prepare graduate students and postdoctoral fellows for faculty positions in STEM. This conference seeks to provide a venue that will allow students to present their work at any stage, receive feedback in preparation for presenting at larger venues, and provide training that will prepare participants for faculty careers.

This page will serve as the official webpage for the event. Please stay tuned for updates.

________________________________________________

• Date: Friday, February 28, 2014
• Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Location: Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building
  • University of Maryland College Park
  • Room: The Rotunda
  • Directions and Parking: http://www.eng.umd.edu/visitus/directions
• Registration: Free (includes meals)
• Attire: Business Casual

________________________________________________

This conference will feature STEM-based oral presentations, posters, and professional development seminars. Participants are invited to submit abstracts to participate in three oral categories, and one poster category.

Oral Category 1: Traditional Research Presentations

[7 minutes presentation, 3 minutes critique, 2 minutes of questions, traditional PowerPoint presentation]

Oral Category 2: TED-Styled Talks

[5 minute talks + 5 minutes for critique/questions, PowerPoint presentation with images only - no text]

Oral Category 3: Lightening Round Talks

[2 minute talks with timer on the screen, no PowerPoints, no critique.]

________________________________________________

AGENDA

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Arrive, Breakfast Refreshments, Registration, Poster Set-Up

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Opening Remarks and Traditional Research Presentations

Opening Remarks: Renetta G. Tull, Ph.D., Director, PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP (University System of Maryland) and Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development & Postdoctoral Affairs (UMBC)

Welcome: Ana Maria Pérez, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate for Diversity Initiatives, Office of Diversity Initiatives, The Graduate School, University of Maryland College Park

Oral Research Presentations

• Ashley J. Belle, UMCP
• Juan Valdez-Lopez, UMBC
• Kayla Lemons, UMBC
• William Easley, UMBC
• Viviana Monje-Galvan, UMCP

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Networking Break

Exchange business cards, learn something new from the posters that will be displayed around the Rotunda, and develop new colleagues. 

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM Lightening Round Talks

• Alexander D. Smith, UMBC
• Adegboyega Akinsiku, UMBC
• Cherre Jefferson, UMBC
• Alex E. Holness, UMCP
• Eric Corbett, UMBC

11:15 AM – 12:00 Noon – Kickoff Ceremony for PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation

Moderator and Host: Dr. Charles Caramello, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland College Park

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Brit Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland

Dr. Kirwan’s Biography: http://www.usmd.edu/usm/chancellor/bio.html

12:00 PM - Poster Session & Buffet Lunch  

Special Lunch Table Guests:

Dr. Alycia Marshall, Chair, Department of Mathematics, Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), PROMISE Alumna (UMCP), Co-PI of NSF’s $598,000 Engineering Scholar’s Program. Dr. Marshall serves as a PROMISE Alumni “Mentor-in-Residence” at each PROMISE Summer Success Institute. Under her leadership, other PROMISE alumni and students have had jobs or career-enhancing opportunities at AACC.

Dr. Elena Hernández-Ramón, Scientific Project Manager at Office of Intramural Training and Education at NIH, Researcher in Cancer/Carcinogen-DNA Interactions, President of the NIH chapter of SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicano and Native American Scientists), and member of the Hispanic Organization of Toxicologists.

Dr. Marshall and Dr. Hernández-Ramón will be seated at round tables during lunch. Participants may network during lunch by joining them at their tables and sharing a meal and discussion. Please bring your CVs and be prepared to talk with them about career opportunities in their organizations.

Poster Presenters

• Arundhathi Venkatasubramaniam, UMBC
• Saadi Habib, UMBC
• Bre-Onna DeLaine, UMB
• Kankindi Rwego, UMCP
• Afua Dennis, UMCP
• Kyana Beckles, UMBC
• Isaac Mativo, UMBC
• Rebekah Brown, UMB
• Sheniqua Brown, UMBC

1:00 PM Meeting of University System of Maryland Graduate Deans and STEM Deans  [Pepco Boardroom]

1:15 PM – “TED-Styled” Talks [Rotunda]

Moderator: Serenella Linares, Plant Sciences, UMCP

• Kailyn Cage, UMCP
• DeLauren McCauley, UMBC
• Christine H. Wang, UMCP

2:00 PM  - Professional Development Workshops

a) Planning in Advance for Tenure: Dr. Raheem Beyah (Associate Professor, Georgia Tech), Dr. William Robinson (Associate Professor, Vanderbilt University). [Kay Room]

Both Dr. Beyah and Dr. Robinson were AGEP students when they were in graduate school, and have been members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Both now have tenure and are dedicating time and effort to training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to plan and prepare themselves now, so that they can be ready for future success as a tenured professor.

Dr. Beyah and Dr. Robinson lead the Academic Research Leadership Symposium, in conjunction with the National Society of Black Engineers. https://www.arlnetwork.org/symposia/

About Dr. Beyah: http://users.ece.gatech.edu/~rbeyah/

About Dr. Robinson: http://www.vuse.vanderbilt.edu/~robinswh/

[While lunch is only available for pre-registered participants, this workshop is open to the public. You may register on-site for this 2 hour workshop.]

b) “Radio Research” – Public Speaking: Scott Morgan, President of The Morgan Group

Moderator: Dr. Maria Nandadevi Cortes Rodriguez, Biological Sciences, UMBC

Scott Morgan, President of The Morgan Group of Washington, DC, provides media training and public speaking tips to a variety of organizations, companies, and universities. Morgan is a Senior Associate of the Abshire Inamori Leadership Academy, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in DC.

More about Scott Morgan:

The Morgan Group 

[While lunch is only available for pre-registered participants, this workshop is open to the public. You may register on-site for this 2 hour workshop.]

4:00 PM – Closing Reception & Awards Ceremony

________________________________________________

If you are interested in presenting, please follow the schedule below:

December 20, 2013: “Letter of Intent” to present (Email promisestaff@gmail.com with name, school, department, choice of oral category (1, 2, 3) or poster, and potential title of your presentation.)

“TED-Styled” and “Lightening Round” titles must be tailored to appeal to a general audience.

January 17, 2013, *New, of Dec. 23, 2013: Deadline for “Intent to Present” emails for Lightening Round and Poster Presentationsonly.  Everyone who expressed an “Intent to Present” as of Dec. 23, 2013, will be in line for the presentation style of their choice. Those who did not specify a category will be given a space for a poster. All of the slots in the “Traditional Presentation” Category #1, and the “TED-Styled Talk” Category #2, are taken, and we will not accept any more requests for those categories. We have some slots remaining in the “Lightening Round” Category #3, and we have slots remaining for posters.

January 31, 2014:Abstracts and the information below are required for all presentations types. (Email all materials to promisestaff@gmail.com, with the subject: “2014 PROMISE Research Symposium Presenter Information.”)

1. Formal Abstract (250 words or less).Biographical Sketch (250 words or less)
   • Font: 12 Point, Times New Roman
   • Heading, Left-justified:
     • Title (Bold)
     • Name (Italicized)
     • Department (No abbreviations)
     • University (No abbreviations)
2. General Summary of Graduate Research (250 words or less)
3. High Quality Photograph
4. Numbered List of up to 5 publications and or/presentations. Please give precedence to publications and conference proceedings as applicable.

________________________________________________

Join us for the annual PROMISE Fall Harvest Dinner, 6:00 PM, Friday, November 22, 2013 at the Riggs Alumni Center on College Park’s Campus. This event is open to all graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff from any school within the University System of Maryland (http://www.usmd.edu/institutions/) who want to participate in, and support the mission of PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation – “Diversity in STEM Education” - https://promiseagep.wordpress.com/2013/09/18/new-nsf-promise-agep-grant-funded-until-2017-includes-university-system-of-maryland-ccbc-aacc-and-agmus/

PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation will engage the University System of Maryland in a system-wide focus on diversity in STEM graduate education, and will share resources and facilities to provide professional development for participants that might otherwise be limited or non-existent at some of the institutions without the alliance. This state-wide alliance eliminates the “silo-effect” or independent STEM diversity efforts, and it promotes as a core mission the collaboration to expand and connect a community of scholars through the state.

Read about our AGEP: 

Tull, R. G.,  Rutledge, J.C.,  Warnick, J. W.,  and Carter, F. D. (2012). PROMISE: Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Enhances Recruitment and Retention of Underrepresented Minority Graduate Students. Academic Medicine, 87(11), p. 1562-1569.

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CLICK and REGISTER for the 2013 Fall Harvest Dinner,Friday, November 22, 2013:

This event is free, but you must have a ticket. A ticket will be sent to your email as an attachment to your registration confirmation. Please remember to print and bring your ticket. 

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Location: The Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center at the University of Maryland College Park:

Website: http://www.riggs.umd.edu/

Directions: http://riggs.umd.edu/map.html (Note that this link has a sidebar menu with detailed directions and parking. The Riggs Center is near the Stamp Student Union.)

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