In a time of profound civic challenges, can higher education be a catalyst for a democratic awakening? Harry Boyte, Senior Scholar in Public Work Philosophy, Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, Augsburg University, will share evidence that it can be, including pioneering initiatives at UMBC and other institutions that are demonstrating the viability of a politics of public work that bridges divides and develops civic agency. Boyte also will discuss his new book Awakening Democracy Through Public Work: Pedagogies of Empowerment.

Reception and book signing to follow.

This event takes place on Wednesday, February 6, 2019 from 4 – 5:30 pm on the 7^th Floor of the Albin O. Kuhn Library. 

For further information or to sign up:  https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csss/events/66028

Are you interested in enrolling in Ph.D. programs? 

Are you a first-generation low-income college student or member of a racial or ethnic group underrepresented in graduate education? 

If so, you may be eligible to apply for the UMBC McNair Scholars Program! 

Creative Alliance’s Artist-in-Residency program located in Baltimore, MD is now accepting applications for its studio Residency Program beginning in Summer 2019. This program is open to artists working in all media who would like to deepen their practice in a supportive, dynamic environment, and to interact with colleagues in a lively cross-cultural, multi-disciplinary residency environment. Our artists/residents also benefit from the rich array of cultural, educational, and professional opportunities available in the greater Baltimore/Washington area. Notable artists who have completed residencies here include Amy Sherald, who was commissioned to paint First Lady Michelle Obama’s official portrait now hanging in the National Portrait Gallery, and Paul Rucker a Guggenheim Fellow and TEDx alumni.

Please share this information with your graduating MFA students, alumni, and other worthy candidates. We encourage them to apply and believe this residency serves as a wonderful opportunity for artists to expand their network of colleagues and supporters and to enhance future professional career opportunities. The online application can be found here: https://www.creativealliance.org/resident-artist-application.

Please do not hesitate to call or email me with any questions or concerns you may have regarding the nature and requirements of our residency program. Thank you.

Thomas James

Visual Arts Curator

Creative Alliance

410-276-1651 ex 216

I’m reaching out to let you know about a public service announcement (PSA) contest that may be of interest to you and your students. The U.S. Agency International Development’s Center for International Disaster Information (USAID CIDI) holds an annual PSAid contest challenging U.S. college students to create PSAs that creatively articulate why “Cash is Best” when helping people affected by disasters across the world.

The PSAid contest provides a hands-on opportunity to equip your students with real world communications, branding, graphic design and public relations experience.Students can enter as a group, class or individually. Attached please find a flyer you can use to let others know about the contest.

In previous years professors have told us they benefit most by incorporating the contest into their curriculum or announcing participation as extra credit. We can arrange Skype sessions with your class and disaster relief experts at USAID CIDI. These sessions can provide detailed information for your students about disaster relief, the importance of the “Cash is Best” message along with insight on what the contest judges are looking for.

This year’s contest categories are:

• Video – 30-second broadcast quality PSA
• Print Ad – High resolution, full page print PSA with a banner ad version for media outlets’ websites
• Digital Image – Any type of graphic or image that can be used online to convey the Cash is Best messaging, can be static or animated

All contest submissions are due Thursday March 28, 2019 at 11:59pm PDT. 

Previous winning PSAs have reached over one billion people! For example, winning video PSAs have aired during episodes of 2 Broke Girls, Two and Half Men, Access Hollywood, Modern Family, among others. Winning print PSAs have been featured in the Washington Times, Washingtonian Magazine, Forbes, Rolling Stone, and Scientific America, to name a few. Last year’s entries and other information can be found at PSAid.org.

The “Cash is Best” message is central to the work done by USAID CIDI, which has run the PSAid contest since 2006. USAID CIDI works to educate the public about why providing monetary donations is the best way to help people who are affected by disasters worldwide. With a cash contribution, relief organizations can purchase exactly what is most urgently needed to help survivors – without incurring any transportation or storage costs. Cash also enables relief supplies to be purchased near the disaster site, stimulating local economies when they need it most. Students who participate support this mission by encouraging good giving habits, which ultimately saves lives all over the world.

We hope you’ll consider participating and sharing this opportunity with your students! If you have any questions, please reach out to me directly. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Alison Vicent

CIDI Contest Coordinator

psaid@hkstrategies.org  

The Campus Influencer network will provide interested students with a unique opportunity to drive the success of By The People 2019 through volunteer recruitment, marketing efforts, and more. Please see the attached inaugural year wrap up for last year’s incredible impact and results.

If you have any students who may be interested in getting involved with By The People, please have them contact me directly.

Thank you so much, I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best Regards,

 Zack Allen

Zack Allen

Advancement Intern

University of Michigan's Short Term Educational Program (STEP) towards Digestive and Metabolic Physiology is specifically targeted to students from mathematics, physics engineering, computational sciences and other quantitative backgrounds to encourage them to apply their expertise to research relevant to digestive and metabolic physiology and associated diseases.

Each student is matched, based on their interests, to a laboratory that is led by a faculty mentor of the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology and other departments at the University of Michigan Medical School. This collection of laboratories is involved in nationally recognized research, in topics such as obesity and diabetes, endocrine and metabolic diseases, kidney and urologic diseases, nutrition and weight control.

The funding amount for 2019 will be $4,200, pre-tax, for twelve weeks of full-time work from May 28 to August 16. The start and/or end date of the fellowship may be shifted slightly to accommodate overlap with the academic year at home institutions, if necessary. The laboratory hands-on research experience is complemented by a weekly noon lecture series with presentations on responsible conduct of research, several aspects of digestive and metabolic physiology, and how loss of physiological regulation leads to disease. Students are expected to attend other departmental and university lectures/seminars. Towards the end of the summer fellowship, the students will participate in a mini-symposium in which they give a 10 minute oral presentation of their research findings followed by a question and answer period.

Students who are currently enrolled at any degree granting university or college are eligible to apply. Preference is given to those students interested in a career in research. Funding is limited to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

**Applications are due on February 1st, 2019**

Visit https://goo.gl/Ym21d7 for more information.