The White House has listed the National Science Foundation’s PROMISE AGEP for Maryland, along with the University System of Maryland’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program (USM LSAMP), among organizations in the U.S. that have a commitment to the new MBK STEM + Entrepreneurship track for the My Brother’s Keeper initiative. This new MBK STEM + Entrepreneurship track includes commitments that will contribute to expanding STEM opportunities to populations that are underrepresented in these fields. PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation, is an NSF AGEP-T program, led by founding partners: The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), the University of Maryland College Park, and the University of Maryland Baltimore. In 2013, the alliance expanded to include all of the institutions within the University System of Maryland. The alliance also includes partnerships with the Community Colleges of Baltimore County (CCBC), Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), and the Ana G. Mendez University Capital Campus. The USM LSAMP program for undergraduate students is led by UMBC as part of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, and has as partners LSAMP programs at the University of Maryland College Park, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The PROMISE AGEP is working with the University System of Maryland to further develop pipeline initiatives that will increase the functionality of professional development services for undergraduates and post-graduate students within the system.

50+ Articles and Tools

The PROMISE AGEP for the University System of Maryland has been noted for its dissemination of materials related to STEM equity and inclusion opportunities in higher education. The PROMISE AGEP has contributed to more than 50 publications and tools, including the PROMISE journal article published by Academic Medicine, and the PROMISE booklet highlighting 10 years of professional development workshops. These resources and others, such as PROMISE articles that have been published by the American Society for Engineering Education and an extension to the conversation on minority doctoral attrition by Council of Graduate Schools, have been used to guide other STEM diversity programs for graduate students at  schools such as Purdue and Cornell. The PROMISE AGEP also serves in advisory capacities for other AGEPs around the U.S.

The PROMISE MBK STEM+ Commitment

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/04/22/fact-sheet-my-brothers-keeper-%E2%80%93-two-years-expanding-opportunity-creating

100+ Presentations, and 500,000+ annual reach on social media

The PROMISE AGEP, along with the USM LSAMP, continue to commit to disseminating best practices to increase the pipeline and chart new pathways for underrepresented populations to have access to STEM careers. To date, promising practices from USM efforts to increase diversity in STEM have been shared in more than 100 presentations, both in the U.S. and abroad. Further, through social media avenues such as the PROMISE website, online access to the 2015 USM LSAMP Impact Report, PROMISE on Google+, and the PROMISE Director’s Twitter site, there have been more than 500,000 hits, views, and impressions. Additional social media sites that participate in significant dissemination include (but are not limited to) the general PROMISE Facebook page, the Facebook page for PROMISE at the University of Maryland College Park, the website for PROMISE at the University of Maryland Baltimore, the PROMISE Dissertation House page, the PROMISE Tumblr page, and PROMISE on YouTube.

The NSF USM PROMISE AGEP, along with the NSF USM LSAMP, will honor the commitment to contribute to the broadening participation efforts of the White House’s MBK STEM+ Entrepreneurship initiative with development and dissemination of best practices for inclusive STEM career access, preparation, retention, and advancement.

All images of and related to The White House are the property of https://www.whitehouse.gov/

The PROMISE AGEP appreciates working in partnership with programs such as the NIH Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program at UMBC and UMB, the Office of Graduate Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Maryland College Park, McNair programs, the Southern Regional Education Board’s Institute for Teaching and Mentoring, and other programs at NSF such as ADVANCE, CREST, and Engineering Research Centers.

The 2016 PROMISE Summer Success Institute (SSI) will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2016, with a Dissertation House component on Thursday, August 18 and Friday, August 19. The event will be held at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve in Hanover, Maryland. Please save the date. This page will be updated with details for the 2016 conference.

History of the PROMISE SSI (with conference links from 2003 – 2015)    |    PROMISE SSI: #ThinkBigDiversity 2015     |    2014 SSI Social Media Accolades   |    SSI 10th Anniversary 2013  |   PROMISE SSI Book on Amazon

REGISTER:

This event is free, as it is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Please register by clicking below. Registrations are handled by Eventbrite. If your plans change, please release your ticket so that someone else can have a space at the event. This event is open to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, staff, and career professionals.

PROMISE SSI 2016

#ThinkBigDiversity Part II: Pathways to the Prize

The prize. What does it mean for you? Becoming a Nobel Laureate? A member of the National Academy of Sciences? A College President? What are the prizes along the way? Completion of courses, qualification exams, or a dissertation? Is it a fellowship? An opportunity to conduct international research? Your dream job? Think about this. Contemplate. Plan. Train. Keep your eyes on your prize. 

All events will be held at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve. 7795 Arundel Mills Boulevard · Hanover, MD 21076 · 410-796-9830. More about the past SSI program can be found here.

Attire: Business and business casual. We are asking that all guest plan to wear colors that represent our cohesion as an alliance. Red, white, black, yellow, and blue. Red, white, yellow, and black are the colors of our Maryland flag, and there is blue in the NSF logo. All of the logos for the University System of Maryland’s institutions have combinations  and variations of these colors. Whether your palette includes yellow or gold, powder blue or sapphire, please join us and wear clothing that is within the general range of our Maryland color scheme.

Pre-conference: Thursday, August 18, 2016 

The Dissertation House at the SSI (Day 1)

Photo by Cheriss May, http://www.cherissmay.com

The USM Dissertation House at the PROMISE SSI 2016. The Dissertation House pre-conference has a separate registration process. Visit the page for the USM Dissertation House at the SSI 2016 . (Registration for the PROMISE SSI does not provide entry to the Dissertation House nor its activities.)

7:00 AM – 11:00 PM: The Dissertation House – The Baltimore Room

Full schedule: USM Dissertation House at the SSI 2016 .

Pre-Conference: Friday, August 19, 2016

The Dissertation House (Day 2), Advisory Board Meeting, Speakers’ & Guest Mentors’ Orientation/Welcome Dinner, Sisters in the Dissertation House Dessert & Discussion Reception

The Dissertation House pre-conference has a separate registration process. Visit the page for the USM Dissertation House at the 2016 SSI. (Registration for the PROMISE SSI does not provide entry to the Dissertation House nor its activities.)

7:00 AM – 11:00 PM: The Dissertation House at the SSI –  The Baltimore Room.  Full schedule: USM Dissertation House at the 2016 SSI 

2:00 PM – 5:30 PM: PROMISE AGEP External Advisory Board Meeting – Annapolis Board Room

6:00 PM: Speakers’ & Advisors SSI Orientation and Dinner – The Washington Room, 2nd Floor

All invited speakers and mentors are asked to attend the annual PROMISE SSI Speakers’ orientation session, even if you have participated in the PROMISE SSI in the past. This working dinner will serve as the speakers’ check-in station, and will provide all of the necessary information that will be needed for the Saturday conference.

8: 30 PM – 10: 00 PM. Sisters in the Dissertation House. Dessert &Discussion – Part II

The Sisters in the Dissertation House Dessert & Discussion session was founded in 2015. This first session with inaugural moderator Dr. Shanna Smith, featured alumni Dr. Sephoria Westmoreland and Dr. Alexis Williams,  and “Sisters in the Dissertation House” book author, Dr. Jennifer Bacon.  The discussion will continue in 2016 with a different panel, to continue the sharing of strategies for finishing the dissertation.

Main Conference – Saturday, August 20, 2016

• 7:30 – 8:30: Registration – 2nd Floor Foyer

• 7:45 AM: “Working Toward Your Prize” – Scholars’ Choice – Breakfast Round tables – Ballroom

  1. Dr. Yaihara Fortis- Santiago, Science Alliance Director at The New York Academy of Sciences.Topics: How to apply for AAAS Fellowship after you finish your PhD, Awards for graduate students and scholars, Scientific meetings and resources. Awards: Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, Blavatnik Awards faculty competition, Blavatnik Awards regional postdoctoral competition, James McKeen Cattell Award (Psychology Doctoral Dissertation Award), The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science Research Award
  2. Dr. Mark Lewis, Associate Dean and Professor,  School of Operations Research and Information Engineering,Cornell University. Topic: The road to full professor. Read more about Dr. Lewis: https://people.orie.cornell.edu/melewis
  3. Dr. Joseph Frascella, Senior Science Advisor to the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the NIH, where he was formerly the Director of the Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research at NIDA. As Director, he led broad clinical research and research training programs in neuroscience, human development, and behavioral treatment. Prior to this position, he served as Branch Chief of the Clinical Neuroscience Branch at NIDA. See BRAINWORLD’s profile on Dr. Frascella.
  4. PROMISE External Advisory Board Members – How to prepare for a faculty position.

This session is presented in partnership with: 

• 8:30 AM: PROMISE and the World View: Harnessing Talent for Global Action

Speaker: Dr. Renetta Tull, Founding Director of the PROMISE AGEP and 2015 Global Engineering Deans Council/Airbus Diversity Award Finalist, will discuss ways that initiatives of PROMISE have been shared in Latin America, Italy, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, India, and Taiwan. Dr. Tull has spoken around the word on issues of diversity and inclusion in STEM, and is regularly invited to share “The Jessica Effect” in efforts to prevent abuses against women. This talk for the 2016 PROMISE SSI  will also share research areas that are being discussed around the world by UNESCO in line with humanitarian science and engineering initiatives and global grand challenges. In 2016, Dr. Tull was named as one of the 35 Women in STEM Social Media Stars. Follow Dr. Tull on Twitter @Renetta_Tull

Session Inspiration: The Global Engineering Deans Council & Airbus

• 9:00 AM: Plenary 1 – Eyes on the Prize – “The Pact”

Speaker: Dr. Daniel Jean, Executive Director of EOF and the Center for Academic Development and Assessment, Montclair State University, @WordsTravel, #WordsTravel

• 9:45 AM: Plenary 2 – Learning from the Prize Winners – “Mentors and Leaders Who Are Paving Your Way.” Panel of National Award Winners and Presidents

• Panelist: Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, Past President of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Endowed Professor –  Kellner Family Chair in Urban Education, Curriculum and Instruction (CI), Educational Policy Studies (EPS), Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis (ELPA) – University of Wisconsin-Madison; Brock International Prize In Education. Paper: Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (cited 3100+ times),   author of the critically acclaimed books, The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, Crossing over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms, and Beyond the Big House: African American Educators on Teacher Education.  Honorary Degrees: Umeå University, Umeå Sweden, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain. Dr. Ladson-Billings is a Senior Fellow of the NEA Foundation.

• Panelist: Dr. Louis Martin-Vega, President, American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), Dean of Engineering, North Carolina State University,  Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), 1999 IIE Albert Holzman Distinguished Educator Award, 2000 HENACC-Hispanic Engineering National Education Achievement Award, 2007 National Hispanic Scientist of the Year Award from the Tampa Museum of Science and Industry, 2008 Outstanding Engineer in North Carolina Award from the NC Society of Engineers, Industrial and Systems Engineering Alumni Leadership Award from the University of Florida in 2009, and the 2012 Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award, IIE’s highest honor. He is a past president of IIE, a member of the Pan American Academy of Engineering and the HENACC Hall of Fame, and was named as one of the 50 Most Influential Hispanics in the US by Hispanic Business magazine in 2014.

Session Leader: Dr. Christine Grant, Professor, Chemical Engineering, and Associate Dean for Faculty Advancement, North Carolina State University. 2003 Winner – White House Presidential  Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), 2015 American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) Mentor Award. Article: Dr. Christine Grant leads restructuring of College of Engineering Faculty Development Office. Follow on Twitter: @DrGrantEmpowers

Session Sponsor:

• 10:30 AM: Circle of PhDs

• 11:15 AM: Networking Break – 2nd floor foyer

• 11:30 AM: Breakout Sessions – In Pursuit of the Prize  -“Activate Your Plans” 

• Session 1: New/Incoming Students – “Expert Advice for Getting Started:  Time Management, Understanding Professors’ Expectations, and Preparing to Ace Classes”

 Speakers: 2016 PROMISE “New Student Mentor-in Residence Dream Team”

• Miryam C. Gerdine, MPH, Associate, Johns Hopkins University; Acting Branch Chief at U.S. Government, Department of Health & Human Services, HRSA; Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI)
• Levon Esters, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Youth Development and Agricultural Education Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Purdue University; Co-PI of M@P (Mentoring at Purdue)
• Marquita Qualls, Ph.D., Entropia, Inc., Former President of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), Interact on Twitter: @DrQualls
• Sweeney Windchief, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Adult & Higher Education, Montana State University; Specialties: Critical Race Theory (CRT), Indigenous Epistemologies, Student Success, American Indian Education Policy

Session Sponsors

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• Continuing Graduate Students (All master’s and doctoral students who have completed at least one year of graduate school)  – “Being a Professional in the Digital Age” 
  • Speaker: Clifton Griffin, Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate School, Salisbury University, former Director for Research & Graduate Studies at Texas A& M – Qatar.

Session Sponsor:

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• Session 3: PP&P: Postdocs, Professors, & Professionals  – “Preparing for the Prize – Media Preparation: Tips for Engaging with the Public.”

You have your PhD, and you’re engaged in your work. What do you do when you get a call from your university’s communications office to tell you that you are being asked to discuss your work on the radio, or that your last grant caught the attention of NPR and you need to prepare for the reporter’s interview? This session, administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences’ (AAAS)  Center for Public Engagement with Science & Technology, is a short version of their broader “Communicating Science” workshop.

Session Partner:

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1:00 Lunch and Program

• Lunch and Networking with PROMISE Alumni and Faculty
• Celebration of Doctoral Candidates
• Keynote Speaker: Dr. Makola M. Abdullah, President, Virginia State University

2:30 Networking, Tweet-up, and Dessert Reception #ThinkBigDiversity

Media

Special In-Person, Live Social Media Coverage by “STEM Celebrity Social Media Personalities” (Our guests have more than 10K Twitter followers, combined):

Dr. Stephani Page, Initiator: #BlackAndSTEM

Dr. Stephani Page (Microbiologist), Initiator of #BlackAndSTEM, Follow: @ThePurplePage. Dr. Page studies protein components of microbial signal transduction pathways. Her work has been covered by Fast Company, Scientific American, and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She is a “STEM social media celebrity,” known for mobilizing and engaging an online community of underrepresented scholars.

Dr. Jedidah Isler, TED Fellow

Dr. Jedidah Isler (Astrophysicist) & Team, Founder, Executive Producer, Host of Vanguard STEM, Follow: @VanguardSTEM, @JedidahIslerPhD. Dr. Isler is a TED Fellow and National Geographic Explorer. National Geographic notes that Dr. Isler “is the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Yale. She’s a champion of inclusion in the sciences, aiming to create a world where anyone, regardless of race, gender, or background, can pursue their interests.”

See one of Dr. Isler’s TED Talks:

Dr. Patty Lopez, 2016 Winner: Advocating Women in Engineering Award, by the Society of Women Engineers

Dr. Patty Lopez [Patricia D. Lopez, Intel Corporation, Mission Critical Data Center] (Computer Scientist), Founding Director of Latinas in Computing, she serves on boards for the Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI), the Anita Borg Institute, and  the Computing Research Association-Women (CRA-W). She also served as the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing 2013 General Co-Chair. Awards: Great Minds in STEM/HENAAC, Community Service Award, 2010; Hewlett Packard Diversity and Inclusion Award, 2004. Follow: @LatinasInC , @pittrpatt

Additional coverage provided by Dr. Yaihara Fortis-Santiago, New York Academy of Sciences. The Science Alliance: http://www.nyas.org/WhatWeDo/ScienceAlliance.aspx

Photography 

PROMISE utilizes the services of Cheriss May, Ndemay Media Group, who serves as a photographer for events at the White House. She is a member of: American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Canon Professional Services (CPS), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), Professional Photographers of America (PPA)

General Conference Coverage for PROMISE: Shawnisha Hester Photography

REGISTER:

This event is free, as it is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Please register by clicking below. Registrations are handled by Eventbrite. If your plans change, please release your ticket so that someone else can have a space at the event. This event is open to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, staff, and career professionals.

VENUE: The HOTEL at Arundel Preserve

The Hotel at Arundel Preserve

7795 Arundel Mills Boulevard

Hanover, MD 21076 · 410-796-9830

Landmarks: This hotel is near BWI Airport, and has a free shuttle to the hotel, upon request (the MARC regional train, and the Amtrak “BWI Station” are also on-site at BWI airport). This hotel is approximately five miles from the Arundel Mills Mall.    |   Map and Directions

Call in or go online to make reservations under the PROMISE room block for the August PROMISE event at the discounted group rate of $149. Call the hotel’s reservations line at 888-624-4011 and either ask to book under the “PROMISE SSI 2016” room block or use the group code: 160819PROM. There is also an option to book online using the hotel’s website: www.hotelarundel.com by clicking the “Make Reservations” tab and entering the group code listed above.DEADLINE for the PROMISE rate: July 29, 2016.

PROMISE AGEP Night: Orioles Game vs. Houston Astros

We will be having a PROMISE AGEP night to watch the Orioles game vs. Houston Astros on Saturday, August 20, 2016 after the Summer Success Institute! Everyone is invited to come, watch the game, relax, and have time to socialize with other SSI attendees. Attendees will need to pay for their own Orioles ticket(s) and provide their own transportation. If you do not have a car, we encourage attendees to carpool with friends to the event. Please click on the following website http://www.orioles.com/tix/promiseagep to purchase tickets. We look forward to seeing you there!

This page provides resources that faculty can use to learn more about diversity in STEM, and tools that shape the PROMISE AGEP. The PROMISE AGEP was established to increase the numbers and diversity of Ph.D.s in STEM fields, with the purpose of preparing diverse graduate students and postdoctoral scholars for the STEM professoriate.

In September 2015, STEM faculty from UMB, UMBC, and UMCP were recognized as “PROMISE Mentors” after receiving nominations from graduate students and administrators. The 12 faculty members participated in a workshop on broadening participation in STEM, along with deans from the schools around the University System of Maryland. The article detailing the event can be found here: http://news.umbc.edu/workshop-examines-diversity-in-stem-graduate-education/

The Mentors are as follows:

UMB:
Dr. Joseph Stains – physiology
Dr. Eileen Barry – microbiology and immunology
Dr. Denise Orwig – epidemiology
Dr. Jacques Ravel – genomics

UM College Park:
Dr. Jeffrey Herrmann – mechanical engineering
Dr. Hugh Bruck – mechanical engineering
Dr. Jeffrey Klauda – chemical and biomolecular engineering
Dr. Sreeramurthy Ankem – materials science and engineering

UMBC:
Dr. Kathleen Hoffman – mathematics
Dr. Stephen Miller – biological sciences
Dr. Ravi Kuber – information systems
Dr. Carlos Romero-Talamas – mechanical engineering

Additional faculty who have engaged in work on diversity and were also invited to be recognized and contribute to the conversation included:
Dr. Michael Summers (biochemistry, UMBC)
Dr. Tim Oates (computer science and electrical engineering, UMBC)
Dr. Shawn Bediako (psychology, UMBC)
Dr. David Tilley (environmental sciences and technology, UMCP)
Dr. Siddhartha Das (mechanical engineering, UMCP)
Dr. Bret Hassel (microbiology & immunology, UMB)
Dr. Eduardo Davila (microbiology & immunology, UMB)
Dr. Greg Carey (microbiology & immunology, UMB).

Dr. Daryl E. Chubin, keynote speaker for the workshop, presented on the topic: Making Good on the PROMISE: Academic Interventions for STEM Ph.D.s. Dr. Daryl E. Chubin, who served in leadership positions at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Foundation, and the White House, serves on the External Advisory Board for PROMISE: Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), sponsored by the National Science Foundation. His training materials can be found below, and can be accessed by clicking the images.

1. SLIDES: Making Good on the PROMISE: Academic Interventions for STEM Ph.D.s.

PROMISE-AGEP External Advisory Board Meeting and Workshop on Enhancing Faculty Understanding of Diversity Issues in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education

By Daryl E. Chubin

September 11, 2015

Abstract:

This slide presentation tells a story of current challenges to STEM PhD-granting institutions, departments, and educators. It draws on the presenter’s federal and nonprofit policy experience, as Center Director at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and as a consultant to university clients.

National data and perspectives are offered as inputs for local actions that prepare doctoral students for an uncertain academic job market. The presentation should provoke discussion of variations by discipline, race/ethnicity, and gender, and the tailoring of strategies to anticipate legal, financial, and workplace biases. All of these affect career prospects.

The presentation concludes with suggestions for guiding interventions that are practical and effective. These will be subsequently be discussed in small groups and the slides will be available.

Select Topics Examined in the Slides:

• Context
• Faculty Demographics & PhD Completion Disaggregated
• Gender & Discipline
• Legal Matters
• Debt & Support
• The Academic Market & Workplace
• Interventions: What You Can Do
• Other Resources

Excerpt from page 33:

Assessing Student Preparation for the Professoriate

Each STEM graduate program should collect and maintain quantitative and qualitative data for students focusing on activities related to preparation for the professoriate, leading to demonstrated competence in:

• Writing papers for peer-reviewed journals and preparing patent applications,
including understanding how journal articles and patent applications are
reviewed.
• Grant writing and management.
• Teaching and learning, including: understanding research on teaching and
learning; how to develop curriculum and student assessments; use of student
centered teaching strategies; use of technology for classroom management and
teaching; and issues of adult learning and cognition.
• STEM student career counseling and advising, including advising and mentoring
across cultural and sex lines and mentoring students with disabilities.
• Managing a research laboratory and teams, including understanding research
ethics.
• University citizenship, including: understanding types of universities;
requirements for promotion and tenure; navigating departmental politics; and
time management skills for balancing time for teaching, research, service—and
life (italics added).
source: Measuring Diversity: An Evaluation guide for STEM Graduate School Leaders, 2011, http://www.nsfagep.org/

2. ARTICLE: Talking to foreign-born STEM faculty about diversity

The article, Talking to foreign-born STEM faculty about diversity, is located here on the AAAS website.

3. VIDEO: Dr. Daryl E. Chubin, Sept. 15, 2015

Dr. Chubin’s talk: “Making Good on the PROMISE: Academic Interventions for STEM Ph.D.s” is featured here. The introduction is presented by Dr. Janet C. Rutledge, Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School at UMBC.

More about Dr. Chubin:

Daryl E. Chubin – Leading the Way – Mythbuster (WEPAN – Women in Engineering ProActive Network article.)

Dr. Daryl E. Chubin – BioSketch/Profile

Dr. Daryl E. Chubin’s 110+ Publications

4. Resources and Statistics from the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)

a. Supplement to the DIMAC Study

Okahana, H.,  Allum, J.,  Felder, P. P.,  and Tull, R. G. (2016). Data Sources PLUS: Implications for Practice and Research from Doctoral Initiative on Minority Attrition and Completion. The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS Online Publication: http://cgsnet.org/data-sources-plus-implications-practice-and-research-doctoral-initiative-minority-attrition-and).

b. Case study showcasing 10 “Lessons Learned: Shepherding Doctoral Students to Degree Completion,”  made possible with support from the (CGS)/Peterson’s Award for Promoting an Inclusive Graduate Community, and a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) program.

 The University as Mentor – Council of Graduate Schools’ Publication

5. Resources from the PROMISE Director (R.G. Tull):

a. The Mentor Mirror

The Mentor Mirror is a “reverse” individual development plan (IDP) for the advisors of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The traditional IDP is focused on the actions of the student/mentee. This document allows the professor/advisor/mentor to reflect upon her/his goals for the mentee’s success. The full explanation can be found here: https://renettatull.wordpress.com/2015/11/06/the-mentor-mirror-a-reverse-idp-for-mentors-srebdocschomotempowered-thinkbigdiversity/.

The Mentor Mirror (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283517238_The_Mentor_Mirror

b. Engineering PhDs & Diversity in the U.S. – Disparity by the Numbers: 129 out of 3,926 #THINKBIGDIVERSITY

Blog post by Renetta Tull: https://renettatull.wordpress.com/2015/10/07/engineering-phds-diversity-in-the-u-s-disparity-by-the-numbers-129-out-of-3926-thinkbigdiversity/

6. The PROMISE Papers and Critical Publications that Shape PROMISE

a. Publications list (comprehensive)

https://promiseagep.wordpress.com/publications/

b. The PROMISE Paper

Tull, R. G., Rutledge, J.C., Warnick, J. W., & 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.

c. The Jessica Effect

Tull, R.G., Ordóñez, F. C., Zayas, Z., Byars-Winston, A., & Cortes-Rodriguez, M. (2014). The Jessica effect: valuing cultural and familial connections to broaden success in academe. AAC&U Peer Review, 16, 13.

d. The importance of involving students from all disciplines in STEM support programs

Tull, R. G., Williams, A. Y., & Hester, S. (2015). An NSF AGEP Program’s Unintended Effect on Broadening Participation: Transforming “Non-STEM” Graduate Students into Engineering Education Faculty, Researchers, K-12 Educators, and Advocates.　Paper presented at the American Society for Engineering Education(ASEE): 122nd ASEE Annual Conference Exposition, Seattle, WA: American Society for Engineering Education.

e. The PROMISE Professional Development Book can be purchased on Amazon, PROMISE AGEP: Professional Development Workshops for Graduate Students Summer Success Institute (SSI)

IMPORTANT UPDATE 5/6/16: DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE COOKOUT WILL BE HELD TOMORROW, SATURDAY, MAY 7, AT THE UMBC CAMPUS, COMMONS BUILDING, 2ND FLOOR, GAME ROOM.

You are invited to come, bring your friends, family, and anyone who supports your journey through graduate school. This event is free. Graduate students from all schools within the University System of Maryland (USM) are invited!

Here is a list, if your school is listed, you are invited! http://www.usmd.edu/institutions/

Alumni, faculty, and staff are invited.

Friends and family members of students who have participated in PROMISE are invited. 

If you are from another school, e.g., Howard, Hopkins, GW, and have come to a PROMISE event in the past such as SSI, you are also invited to participate.

Please register below.

Register for the PROMISE Friends and Family Cookout and Celebration of Graduates:

If you are graduating from a USM institution with an M.S. or Ph.D., please send an email to promisestaff@gmail.com with your name, school, department, and degree, by 9 AM, Friday, April 29, 2016, so that we can recognize you at the event.

Date & Time: 

• Saturday, May 7, 2016
• 1:00 – 4:00 PM (Honoring Graduates at 3 PM)

Location UPDATE 5/6/16:

UMBC Campus

1000 Hilltop Circle

Baltimore, MD 21250

Commons Building, 2nd Floor

Game Room

Directions:

PDF | Google Maps

Parking:

Parking is free on weekends. The permits are not enforced. The nearest parking lot is the Commons Drive Garage. PDF | Google Maps

This event provides food, fun, connections, and networking. Come join the PROMISE Cookout!

YM

Congratulations to the Graduate School at UMES, and their Graduate Student Association for their plans to hold UMES’ first, independent, PROMISE Workshop, as part of their Graduate Student Week. Kudos to the team at UMES!

This week, PROMISE is visiting schools around Maryland for meetings and workshops. The key feature will be the PROMISE annual workshop, “When Faculty Say ‘X’ …”

Description of the lecture:

Understanding professors’ expectations shouldn’t be a mystery. However, sometimes, there are disconnects between what a faculty member wants a student to produce for a project, and how the student interprets the instructions. In many cases, the expectations of faculty are clearly articulated, either in written or oral format. However, in other cases, there are situations where a faculty member’s feedback or outcomes from discussions regarding progress may not be as clear because they involve aspects of non-verbal communication such as eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and eye contact.

Addressing the Needs of Graduate Students

We draw particular attention to the needs of graduate students for our “When Faculty Say X” success seminar series. Graduate students have several forms of faculty interaction that have their own sets of nuances. For graduate students, the faculty member is a teacher, a mentor, an advisor, and a future colleague. There are several phases through which one must pass to navigate the transitions. During coursework, there is the phase where one follows the syllabus, turns in the homework, and takes the exam. During the qualifying exam and proposal stages, it can be difficult for a student to determine what they are supposed to know on the journey toward building expertise in a discipline or particular area of research. In addition to becoming a contributor to the field, a professor may have a methodology that must be employed by all in her lab, or a set of theories which need to be used set the foundation for all work that comes out of the research group. There may be bibliographies that one must reference, techniques that must be mastered, and simple “unwritten rules” that must be followed. Some of the rules may include attending every group meeting and each departmental colloquium. Other rules may extend to writing, i.e., explicit use of a citation style, paragraph structure, or drafting process.

The PROMISE AGEP launched the “When Faculty Say X …” series to answer some of these burning questions. The facilitator will be Dr. Renetta G. Tull, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs at UMBC, and Director of the University System of Maryland’s National Science Foundation’s PROMISE: Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP). Dr. Tull will present a series of scenarios that graduate students have experienced, along with responses from STEM faculty from the USM and other schools around the nation. Time will be set aside for students’ real-time Q&A, which is often the most important part of the program.

This week:

Monday, April 4, 2016 – Salisbury

Students are invited to read the responses that were shared at an earlier event.

Answers from the virtual event in 2015

Tuesday, April 5, 2016, 11 AM – UMES

Location: Suite 3046, the new Engineering and Aviation Building

PDF link on UMES’ website:

https://www.umes.edu/cms300uploadedFiles/new_Dr.Tull_flyer.pdf

Thursday, April 7, 2016, 3 PM – Bowie State

Bowie State:

Thursday,  Apr 7, 2016 3pm – 4pm (EDT)
14000 Jericho Park Rd., Bowie, MD 20715,

Center for Business and Graduate Studies (CBGS), Room 3201

Friday, April 8, 2016, 12 Noon – Towson

12:00 Noon

Graduate Student Lounge (Room 205)

Psychology Building

Closest Parking: Towsontown Garage (on Towsontown Blvd and University Ave)

Any member of the PROMISE community (student, staff, postdoc, faculty) is welcome to attend any of the events.

The Summer 2016 Dissertation House is coming to UMBC (July 5, 2016 to July 8, 2016)!  Students who participate in this program will spend each day thinking, writing, and sharing ideas about their doctoral dissertations.  Students will learn effective time-management skills; learn how to set small manageable goals, and will meet with a dissertation coach in one-on-one consultations to discuss and address obstacles that might prevent them completing their degrees.

HOW TO APPLY

Graduate students who plan to participate should follow the application procedure below: 

PART I:

I. Submit a brief description (maximum 2 pages, font size 11-12 point 1 inch margins) that describes the project that you wish to accomplish during the Dissertation House period.  Applications will neither be reviewed nor accepted outside of the application enrollment period.

PART II:

II. Please use the following guidelines  for the application:

(1) Summary of the project, including research question(s), data or texts, and method

(2) Amount completed on the project to date

(3) Any obstacles that you are encountering that hinder completion of the dissertation.

(4) Include the following header information with the description:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers (home, office, and fax)
• E-mail address
• Academic Program and Year in the program

Open application period: May 5, 2016 – May 19, 2016 

(Please note that there are only 12 to 15 slots for this event, consider applying early) 

Applications received after May 19, 2016 will be considered for the DH waiting list. More information about the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/about/

• The Dissertation House runs from 9 AM – 5PM, for four days, Tuesday, July 5th through Friday, July 8th.
• Students must plan to attend the full session, for each of the 4 days. 
• Daily schedule includes 2 mini-lectures, and 5 hours of writing per day.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and a snack will be served daily.
• The Dissertation House is free for UMBC’s graduate students.
• There are 15 to 18 spaces available for the Dissertation House. 
• Details regarding eligibility can be found on the application page of the website for the Dissertation House.

Read about The Dissertation House in UMBC’s Alumni Magazine: Byrne, R.  (2011, Fall) “The Write Stuff”, UMBC Magazine. p. 12

Dr. Autumn Reed, Director of STRIDE and Coordinator of Faculty Diversity Initiatives at UMBC, invites PROMISE to a play on UMBC’s campus with the CRLT Players of the University of Michigan. Dr. Reed has served as a PROMISE Mentor-in-Residence, and facilitator for the 2016 PROMISE roundtable on faculty diversity that was part of the Research Symposium at College Park. She notes the following:

 As part of UMBC’s continued efforts recruit and retain a diverse and inclusively excellent faculty, we are actively seeking ways to improve departmental climate. Bringing the University of Michigan’s CRLT Players to perform “Navigating Departmental Politics” on March 31st from 10-12pm and from 4-6pm is central to our efforts. This interactive performance provides an opportunity for us to reflect and participate as community in a facilitated discussion on this topic.

THURSDAY, March 31, 2016

Performance #1: 10 AM – 12 noon

Performance #2 (Repeat): 4:00 PM – 6 PM

Location: University Center Ballroom, UMBC. Directions. The University Center (UC) is in the center of the campus. The Building houses the Chik-Fil-A and Starbucks cafes, on the first floor, the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences Dean’s Office, the English Language Center, and the Discovery Center. The ballroom is on the 3rd floor of the UC. The back of the UC leads to the Engineering Building. The front of the UC faces the Biology and Math/Psychology buildings on UMBC’s main walkway. The UC is adjacent to the Chemistry building.

The play (sketch) is based on events that occur during a faculty meeting. (See the CRLT description.) All members of our PROMISE community are invited to this event. We hope to see graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty there. A group from the UMBC PROMISE team will be at the 10:00 AM performance.  Feel free to sit with us! Leave a message in the comments if you have questions.

REGISTER: Free

If you have a UMBC ID, please RSVP here via MyUMBC:

http://my.umbc.edu/groups/facultydiversity/events/38419.

VISITORS: If you are coming from another institution, you can register by posting your name and affiliation in the comment section of this email.

This event is open to faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and friends. Thank you to Dr. Reed for inviting the PROMISE community-at-large to experience this event.

PROMISE at the University of Maryland College Park  and the Graduate School’s PhD Completion Series invites you to come to campus for two important talks that will help you with your dissertation.

If you have questions, please contact PROMISE at the University of Maryland College Park. 

Christopher Perez

Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion

The Graduate School | University of Maryland

2123 Lee Building | College Park, MD 20742

301.405.0763 | cperez6@umd.edu | gradschool.umd.edu | @UMDGradSchool

Advancing graduate education. Enhancing the graduate student experience.