• Understanding Graduate School – Panel of Graduate Students
  • Nopondo Esemoto (Chemistry)
  • Joshua Brown (Biochemistry – MD/PhD)
  • DeLauren McCauley (Chemistry)
  • Antione Taylor (Psychology)
  • Janae Baptiste (Chemistry)
  • Alex Vega (Chemistry, incoming 1^st Year)

11:30 a.m.

• Introduction: Dr. Janet C. Rutledge, Vice Provost of Graduate Education & Dean of the Graduate School
• Motivational Talk by Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President, UMBC

Related articles

• President Obama Appoints UMBC President as Chair of National Education Commission (baltimore.cbslocal.com)

https://promiseagep.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/promise-summer-success-institute-ssi-august-15-2015/

You are invited to join the Dissertation House online: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/summerdh2015/. We have been hosing challenges for several years, and are always pleased to see people finish their degrees! The participants who will come to the Dissertation House in person will be here from Tuesday, July 7 – Friday, July 10, but that doesn’t need to stop you! You can write something now. Let us know that you’re here. It’s ok to be the first one at the “party.” We’ll look forward to meeting you and encouraging you along the way.

Each summer we host a Dissertation House online that connects to participants in our in-person Dissertation Houses in Maryland. You don’t need to be a doctoral student in Maryland to join. You can be  student at any school in the world. The key is that we are in favor of forming a community to catapult you to the next level. Here is the link for the current installment:

https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/summerdh2015/

You’re invited! Join us!

The University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) is sponsoring the University System of Maryland-wide Dissertation House at the PROMISE Summer Success Institute, August 13-15, 2015. All participants will work on their dissertations on Thursday evening, and all day Friday, and will attend activities for the #ThinkBigDiversity 2015 PROMISE Summer Success Institute on Saturday, August 15, 2015.

All events will be held at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve. As part of the Dissertation House, and as a transition to the events for the Saturday PROMISE SSI, there will be a special evening dessert session and book discussion: Sisters in the Dissertation House on Friday night, hosted by book author Dr. Jennifer Bacon, and led by Dr. Shanna Smith.

For more information about the Dissertation House, and to apply for this opportunity to work on your dissertation, visit the 2015 USM-side Dissertation House page on the website for the Dissertation House:

https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/2015/06/25/dissertation-house-at-the-2015-promise-summer-success-institute-ssi-aug-13-15/

All participants must apply for the Dissertation House using the link above, *AND* register for the #ThinkBigDiversity PROMISE 2015 Summer Success Institute.

University System of Maryland (USM) Dissertation House at the PROMISE Summer Success Institute – August 13-15, 2015

The University of Maryland, Baltimore  and PROMISE Maryland’s AGEP are sponsoring a system-wide Dissertation House for graduate students in STEM programs.  The writing and research retreat will take place at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve.   Lodging for 2 nights and meals are provided for student participants.   Twelve students from the USM system schools will be chosen to participate in this research and writing retreat.  http://www.thehotelarundel.com/

 2015 PROMISE SSI Dissertation House Schedule:

• Thursday 8/13, 3:00 PM Hotel Check-in
• Thursday 8/13, 5:00 PM Dissertation House Opening Session, Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale (Dissertation Coach) 
• Thursday 8/13, 6 PM – 7 PM:  Dinner Meeting
• Thursday 8/13, 7 PM – 12 midnight: Work Session #1
• Friday 8/14, 8 AM – 9 AM: Breakfast
• Friday 8/14, 9 AM – 9:15 AM: Welcome – Dr. Erin Golembewski (UMB)
• Friday 8/14, 9:15 AM – 10 AM: Mini Lecture –  Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale
• Friday 8/14, 10 AM – 12 noon: Work Session #2
• Friday 8/14, 12 PM – 1PM: Working Lunch
• Friday 8/14, 1 PM – 2PM: “Writing Lab” Seminar with Clancy Clawson of the UMB Writing Center
• Friday 8/14, 2 PM – 6  PM Work Session #3
• Friday 8/14, 6 PM – 7  PM Dinner Meeting
• Friday 8/14, 7 PM -12 midnight Work Session #4
• Saturday 8/15, 8 AM – 3 PM: PROMISE Summer Success Institute Program, includes #ThinkBigDiversity breakout session for “Continuing Students.”
• Saturday 8/15, HOTEL Late checkout (time TBA)

OPTIONS

• SSI Suite – Hotel at Arundel Preserve: Friday 8/14, 8:30PM – 10 PM: Sisters in the Dissertation House Book Discussion & Dessert Session –  Optional DH activity, part of the PROMISE SSI, open to others outside of the DH event (sponsored by the PROMISE AGEP, with DH Alumni Dr. Jennifer Bacon and Dr. Shanna Smith)
• Students who want to stay until Sunday are encouraged to book an extra night on their own for a Saturday night – Sunday stay: Guests can call the hotel’s main line and reference “PROMISE AGEP SSI 2015” or group code “3065” to book remaining group discounted rates: 410-796-9830, http://hotelarundel.com/
• Anyone who stays Saturday-Sunday will have the option to have additional one-on-one, or small group mentoring sessions with Dr. Renetta Tull, PROMISE Director. 

Eligibility for the SSI Dissertation House:

1) Enrolled in a STEM graduate program (based on the NSF-supported fields per the NSFGRFP) at one of the schools within the University System of Maryland

2) Underrepresented according to the NSF Definition for AGEP, U.S. Citizen

Per NSF.gov: AGEP is committed to the national goal of increasing the numbers of underrepresented minorities (URMs), including those with disabilities, entering and completing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate education and postdoctoral training to levels representative of the available pool. URMs include African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.

This event is part of the 2015 PROMISE Summer Success Institute. Following the Dissertation House (DH) sessions on Thursday and Friday, all DH participants will be required to continue participation in the PROMISE SSI on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve:

https://promiseagep.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/promise-summer-success-institute-ssi-august-15-2015/

All 12 participants will check in on Thursday, and check out on Saturday.

________________________________________________

TO APPLY: Follow the instructions outlined on the application page: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/

DEADLINE: Friday, July 24, 2015

________________________________________________

The host for the 2015 USM-wide Dissertation House will be the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).

UMB’s Sr. Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Erin Golembewski, and the team from UMB (Coordinator –  LaNette Parson, Writing Center Coordinator – Clancy Clawson) welcome applicants from around the state to UMB’s 2015 PROMISE Dissertation House. As part of the PROMISE SSI Dissertation House structure, complimentary hotel lodging will be provided for DH participants. Students from western Maryland and the Eastern Shore, e.g., Frostburg University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Salisbury University, are particularly encouraged to participate. Learn more about PROMISE at UMB:

http://www.graduate.umaryland.edu/Current-Students/PROMISE-Program/

________________________________________________

Dissertation Coach: Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale

The Summer Dissertation House is coming to UMBC, July 7-10 2015. Graduate students who plan to participate should follow the application procedures on the application webpage for the Dissertation House.

Open application period: Early bird May 20, 2015 – May 31, 2015. Late registration June 1, 2015 – June 7, 2015 (Applications received during the early bird period will have priority.)

(Please note that there are only 15 to 18 slots for this event, consider applying early)

Applications received after June 7, 2015 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 7 through Friday, July 10, 2015
• 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 July 7-10, 2015 Dissertation House is only available to UMBC’s graduate students who can attend in-person, however, the online version is open to anyone, from any institution, world-wide!
This version of the Dissertation House is open to all graduate students, in all disciplines.
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. Subscribe to the website: http://www.thedissertationhouse.com
Read about The Dissertation House in UMBC’s Alumni Magazine: Byrne, R. (2011, Fall) “The Write Stuff”, UMBC Magazine. p. 12

Please login to MyUMBC, click “I can attend” here: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/32556 , *AND* follow the
application procedures on the main website for the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/

In August, we will hold a consolidated, marathon version Dissertation House for STEM graduate students of the USM, during the PROMISE Summer Success Institute: https://promiseagep.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/promise-summer-success-institute-ssi-august-15-2015/

The Dissertation Houses are co-sponsored by PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation (an AGEP-T project), The Graduate School at UMBC, and The Graduate School at The University of Maryland College Park.