university of maryland 2014 grad lab

Program Book

Visit www.gemfellowship.org

Email [email protected] The future belongs to

those who prepare for it.

Getting Ready for Advanced Degrees

Laboratory

GEM GRAD Lab The GRAD Lab is a fun and engaging

symposium where participants, science

and engineering undergraduates, will

receive full information on the importance

of graduate school and what is needed to

successfully gain admittance with financial

support.

GEM University Host:

Co-Hosts:

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5 GEM GRAD Lab Welcome

About GEM Our Mission The GEM Fellowship Application Deadline Applicants for MS Fellowship Applicants for Ph.D. FellowshipGEM GRAD Lab Overview

How to Apply for the GEM Fellowship

GEM GRAD Lab Agenda

GEM GRAD Lab Workshops

GEM GRAD Lab Presenters

GEM GRAD Labs are sponsored by

the Intel Foundation

3 University of Maryland-College Park • September 19 - 20, 2014

Intel encourages GEM GRAD Lab participants to

Stay With It and pursue a

STEM graduate degree!

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GEM GRAD Lab Welcome

Dear Prospective Graduate Student,

As Dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, I am excited to host a GEM Getting Ready for Advanced Degrees Lab (GRAD Lab) on Saturday, September 20, 2014 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The A. James Clark School of Engineering has a Top 20 graduate pro-gram that offers students a fantastic environment to work on cutting edge research that may truly

impact the lives of millions. Ideally, situated in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area, the Clark School has re-search collaborations with numerous unique Federal Laboratories and agencies in the region including NASA Goddard, NIST, APL, FDA and the NRL.

This free symposium welcomes underrepresented students interested in graduate education in any of the science, math, or engineering disciplines to receive information on the importance of graduate school and how to obtain finan-cial support for graduate studies through such programs as the GEM Fellowship. Presenters at the event will range from current graduate students to university faculty and senior administrators. They are selected from diverse communities and disciplines to present on the following topics:

“Why Graduate School”“How to Prepare for Graduate School”“Understanding the GEM Fellowship”

“Voices From the Field: Real Life Research and Internship Experiences”

Focusing on the global importance of research and innovation, life-long career benefits, and real world role models, this highly interactive symposium will enable students to envision their future as leaders in research and technology, to successfully apply for a GEM fellowship, and to gain entry into a graduate program.

Yours truly,

Darryll J. Pines, Ph.D.Dean, A. James Clark School of EngineeringUniversity of Maryland-College Park

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An advanced degree in engineering or science can open doors to even more challenging and responsible careers—especially in the dynamic and sophisticated areas of high technology research. Every year a significant number of underrepresented minorities enter undergraduate engineering and science curricula; however, underrepresented minorities represent less than five percent of the recipients of advanced degrees in engineering or science.

It is GEM’s belief that if highly qualified minority students were exposed to the benefits of a career in research and technology innovation, via presentations from individuals from their communities who have received a graduate engineering or science degree and are currently successful in their careers, and were given resources on how to apply to graduate school, more students would apply and successfully matriculate in graduate engineering and science programs.

To address this issue, GEM has created a GRAD Lab, Getting Ready for Advanced Degree Lab, a comprehensive, hands-on symposium designed to excite and encourage promising under-graduate and community college engineering and science students to consider master and Ph.D. technical research programs.

The symposium will encourage their consideration of graduate engineering school by delivering vital information on the importance of research and innovation, life-long career benefits and real-world role-mode examples of success. The day-long event will help each student envision his or her future as a technology leader, successfully apply for a GEM fellowship, and gain entry to a graduate program. Industry and academic professionals will share their career, graduate school, and GEM experiences with these potential graduate students.

GEM GRAD Lab Overview

About GEMOUR MISSION

APPLICANTS FOR MS FELLOWSHIP

THE GEM FELLOWSHIP

APPLICATION DEADLINE

APPLICANTS FOR PH.D. FELLOWSHIP

Our model is strategic and proven. We provide graduate fellowships to highly qualified individuals from communities where such talent is largely untapped. Working in partnership with leading corporations, U.S. government laboratories and many of the nation’s top universities and research institutes, we provide GEM Fellows with the much-needed financial support that is often the deciding factor in pursuing graduate education, as well as practical experience through high-level, paid summer internships. GEM does more than provide financial support; however, we work to ensure student success in these competitive academic and professional environments with effective programs that increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation of GEM Fellows. Close to 4,000 GEM Fellows have gone on to successful careers.

GEM offers three Fellowship Programs to GEM Member Universities. The total value of each Fellowship is between $20,000 and $100,000, depending on the candidate’s academic status at the time of application, paid summer employment, and graduate school costs.

consideration. All application materials are due by November 15. A candidate must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident at the time of application.

Applications for GEM Fellowships are available online at www.gemfellowship.org. Submit your application, resume and unofficial transcript by October 1 for early

> Must be a senior, Master’s Degree student of an accredited engineering or applied science program at the time of application.

> Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0

> Full Fellows must contractually agree to intern with a sponsoring GEM Employer the summer after selection.

> Must be a senior, Master’s Degree student of an accredited engineering or applied science program at the time of application.

> Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0

> Full Fellows must contractually agree to intern with a sponsoring GEM Employer the summer after selection.


GEM GRAD Lab Agenda

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2014 Location: Jeong H. Engineering Building

9:00 am Registration/Pre-Survey/Continental Breakfast

10:00 am Welcome and IntroductionDarryll Pines, Ph.D., Dean of the Clark School and Nariman Farvardin Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland College Park/A. James Clark School of Engineering (GEM Alum)

10:15 am Session 1: Why Graduate School?Michele Lezama, Executive Director, The National GEM Consortium (GEM Alum)

11:15 am Break

11:30 am Session 2: How to Apply to Graduate SchoolRenetta Garrison Tull, Ph.D., Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs, University of Maryland Baltimore County (GEM Program Consultant)

12:30 pm Lunch / Graduate Resource FairUniversity of Maryland Baltimore County, Pennsylvania State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, University of Virginia

1:30 pm Session 3: How to Fund Graduate SchoolModerator: Michele Lezama, Executive Director, The National GEM ConsortiumNandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez, Ph.D., Program Coordinator for PROMISE, Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs, University of Maryland Baltimore CountyFrancis DuVinage, Ph.D., Director of National Scholarships Office, University of Maryland College ParkJeffrey A. Franke, Assistant Dean/Chief of Staff, Graduate School, University of Maryland College Park

2:30 pm Break

2:45 pm Session 4: Voices from the FieldModerator: Silvia Muro, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Maryland College Park/A. James Clark School of EngineeringBrittny Davis, Graduate Student, University of Maryland Baltimore CountySheriff Jolaoso, Graduate Student, Virginia Polytechnic Institute/College of Engineering Pedro Peña, Graduate Student, University of Maryland College Park/A. James Clark School of Engineering

3:30 pm Closing Remarks/Post Survey/Raffle

3:45 pm Program End

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This workshop will prove the fundamental belief of the 21st century and beyond: all STEM professionals should hold an advanced STEM degree. Particularly, the participants will gather information about career and financial implications of NOT obtaining a graduate degree. If you think all you need is a bachelors degree to be competitive in the global society or that you should work first then go back to graduate school, YOU CAN’T MISS THIS WORKSHOP! Come find out why graduate school is not an option but a necessity.

Learn the easy and efficient way to get into graduate school. There really is a process. You will find out the steps to compiling a competitive package that will give you a great advantage over the rest. This workshop should not be missed for those that want to get the highest probability to be accepted into the graduate school of their choice. Specifics will be given on how to write a statement of purpose, how to guarantee you receive strong recommendation letters, and specific tips on the application process.

“Show me the Money”…and then give it to me! During this workshop you will find how to identify and apply for funding whether you are in graduate school or just finishing your first semester as an undergraduate. This information will give you the insight on how much money is available, how to find it, how to apply for it, and how to secure it! Come find out why no one should pay for graduate school if they go about it correctly!

This is where it all comes together! Through the course of the day, you know why you need to go to graduate school. You have a better understanding of the gradu-ate programs and how to get into them. You have multiple opportunities now to make sure that you have adequate funding to finance your graduate education. Now, you have the benefit to hear from those that have done it or are currently doing it. At this workshop you will meet, see, and hear real life stories of how graduate school was/is/and will be. There will be leading faculty members, industry professionals and current graduate students on this panel. You should not miss this last workshop if you want to know the “real scoop” about graduate school!

GEM GRAD Lab WorkshopsSession 1: Why Graduate School?

Session 2: How to Apply to Graduate School

Session 3: How to Fund Graduate School

Session 4: Voices From the Field


Dr. Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez is an ornithologist whose main focus are birds, the environment and teaching courses in Biology at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and at UMBC. However, she also serves as the Program Coordinator for PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP, Graduate Student development and Postdoctoral Affairs, where she assists with planning programs and activities that cover all of the public universities within the University System of Maryland. Dr. Cortes-Rodriguez also a mentor for UMBC’s LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate graduate students. She has been a speaker for “Sharing STEM” and a participant global conversation forums sponsored by the “Women in Public Service (WSPS)” project of the Woodrow Wilson Center, and also participated in global conversations at Barnard College in conjunction with the opening of the 2013 General Assembly of the United Nations. In addition to her work with UMBC, Dr. Cortes-Rodriguez is a collaborator on projects that investigate linkages of cultural acknowledgement to student success. Besides her publications within the biology field, she is one of the co-author of a paper that has recently been accepted to the American Society of Engineering Education’s International Forum, “Preparing for global leadership in STEM fields: Working in an International setting” and she has a paper in review regarding graduate students in STEM from Latin American cultures and the importance of developing connections and systems of support within the academic institution: “Desde la Licenciatura Hasta el Doctorado: Los Sistemas de Apoyos Para Estudiantes de Posgrado en Instituciones Fuera de Su País y Lejos de Casa.” This year, Dr. Cortes-Rodriguez has coordinated the logistics for the “International Engagement and Broadening Participation in STEM from a Family-Friendly Perspective for Women of Color“ program; both at UMBC, and on-site in Ecuador.

NANDADEVI CORTES-RODRIGUEZ, Ph.D.Program Coordinator for PROMISE, Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs, University of Maryland Baltimore County


Brittny Davis received her B.S. in Chemistry from Jackson State University in 2009. As an undergraduate she participated in both the NIH MBRS-RISE and MARC*U-STAR programs. Ms. Davis started the Ph.D. program in Chemistry at University of Maryland Baltimore County in Fall 2009 as an NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow. She is currently a Graduate Meyerhoff Fellow (NIH-IMSD) and the recipient of an NIGMS NRSA (F-31) grant. Ms. Davis’ dissertation project is entitled “Determining the Molecular Origins of Allostery for the RNA polymerase from the Hepatitis C Virus.” As a computational chemist she employs molecular dynamics simulations to understand the link between protein structure, dynamics, and function and how these are impacted by small molecules (i.e. drugs). Ms. Davis expects to graduate in December 2014, and is currently applying to postdoctoral positions involving computer-aided drug discovery.

BRITTNY DAVISPhD Student- Chemistry University of Maryland Baltimore County

Dr. Francis DuVinage has directed the National Scholarships Office at the University of Maryland, College Park for the past 6 years. In this role he advises students pursuing a wide range of graduate school funding opportunities, including the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship, the Ford Foundation’s Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, and numerous others. He came to Maryland from The George Washington University, where he was founding director of the GW Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research and a deputy director and lecturer in the University Honors Program. Dr. DuVinage earned a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago. His dissertation explored Edmund Burke’s principles and practice of statesmanship, especially in response to the French Revolution. Work on this dissertation was supported by fellowship from the

FRANCIS DUVINAGE, Ph.D.Director of National Scholarships OfficeUniversity of Maryland College Park

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National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation. Dr. DuVinage was born in the Dominican Republic to South American parents and, apart from a brief interlude in New Jersey, grew up there and in Puerto Rico.


Sheriff Jolaoso is a second year graduate student in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. He is a GEM Fellow and a member of the New Horizon Graduate Scholars pursuing a Ph.D. in the Computer Science program. Sheriff’s studies have a focus on Human Computer Interaction (HCI) topics such as personal informatics, personal information management, and user experience design. A Maryland native, Sheriff is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with a B.S. in Computer Engineering. While there he was a Meyerhoff Scholar. His research and career interests lie in personal informatics, personal information management, and user experience design. He also has interests in topics of ubiquitous computing, context-aware computing, usability engineering, and tangible and embodied interaction.

SHERIFF JOLAOSOPhD Student - Computer ScienceVirginia Polytechnic Institute/College of Engineering

Jeffrey Franke assumed his role at the University of Maryland on April 1, 2013. Immediately prior, he was Associate Dean/Chief of Staff of the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University. Before moving into higher education, Franke worked in both nonprofits and government entities including service as an Officer at the Pew Charitable Trusts and Chief of Staff of Investors Education Foundation. Before that he was with the consulting firm of Hamilton, Rabinovitz & Alschuler, providing board/program management, change management and executive recruiting services. He has a bachelor’s from Stanford University and a master’s from the University of Southern California.

JEFFREY A. FRANKEAssistant Dean/Chief of Staff,Graduate SchoolUniversity of Maryland College Park

Michele Lezama is currently the Executive Director of The National GEM Consortium, a 501c(3) organization, founded at the University of Notre Dame, dedicated to increasing the number of under-represented individuals who pursue and receive a masters or PhD in engineering or science by providing full fellowships and holding informational programming on the application and graduate school experience.

Lezama began her post as Executive Director of GEM after serving over 5 years as Executive Director of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), a 501 c(3) organization whose mission is to increase representation in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, by providing programming, scholarships, and career placement from pre-college students through professionals. Lezama is credited for significantly increasing NSBE’s operational efficiency, programmatic efforts, and financial reserves. Most notably she turned around the organization’s financial position from risking payroll to acquiring a new headquarters facility tripling the organization’s capital position and creating a long-term investment structure. Under Lezama’s leadership, NSBE received the 2003 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring awarded by the White House’s Office of Science and Technology.

Prior to NSBE, Lezama was the Director of Satellite Scrambling Operations at Home Box Office (HBO), a Time Warner Company, and prior to HBO she served as the Associate Director of Broadcast Operations and System Integration at Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).

Prior to Lezama’s media career she was an engineer with IBM in their Poughkeepsie, Manhattan and Brooklyn facilities. Lezama also held co-op positions with Raytheon and Texas Instruments.

Lezama earned her BS in Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University and both her MS in Industrial Engineering and MBA in Finance and Accounting

MICHELE LEZAMAExecutive DirectorThe National GEM Consortium GEM Alum

Visualize your M.S. and Ph.D.! Enroll in a STEM Graduate Program at UMBC

Biochemistry Biological Sciences Biology, Applied Molecular Biology, Molecular & Cell Chemistry Computer Science Engineering, Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Management Geography and Environmental Systems Human-Centered Computing Information Systems Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences Mathematics, Applied Neurosciences & Cognitive Sciences Physics, Applied Physics, Atmospheric Statistics

A Snapshot of UMBC’s Graduate Students with President, Freeman Hrabowski (Mathematician). Several of the current and former STEM students in the photo have since finished their doctorates. Visualize success with a graduate degree from UMBC!

For more information about graduate programs, admissions, and enrollment at UMBC, please contact Gay Warshaw, Manager of Recruiting and Admissions at [email protected], or 410-455-1607. For information about GEM Fellowships at UMBC, support for graduate students, and the National Science Foundation’s PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP, UMBC’s program (in partnership with UM College Park, and UM Baltimore) to increase participation of underrepresented minority graduate students in STEM, visit: http://www.umbc.edu/promise, Twitter: @PROMISE_AGEP or contact Dr. Renetta Tull: [email protected].


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Penn State’s College of Engineering offers one of the most highly regarded graduate engineering programs in the nation. Our interdisciplinary program has strong industry ties and conducts more than $146 million in research each year. Define your life by pursuing the next level of your success.

DEFINE your life.

For more information, contact:Amy Freeman, Assistant DeanPenn State College of EngineeringOffice of Engineering DiversityPhone: 800-848-9223E-mail: [email protected]

GRADUATE PROGRAMS OFFERED:

www.engr.psu.edu/ogsro

Aerospace Engineering Architectural Engineering Chemical EngineeringCivil EngineeringComputer Science and EngineeringElectrical EngineeringEngineering MechanicsEngineering Science

Engineering Science and MechanicsJoint M.D./Ph.D. Program in Engineering Science and MechanicsEnvironmental Engineering Industrial Engineering Mechanical Engineering Nuclear Engineering

Interdisciplinary graduate degrees are offered by the Intercollege Graduate Degree Programs in Acoustics and Bioengineering. Related programs include Agricultural and Biological Engineering, which falls under the auspices of the College of Agricultural Sciences, and various programs in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed. ENG 15-15© 2014 The Pennsylvania State University. All Rights Reserved.

College of Engineering



Dr. Silvia Muro obtained her PhD in Sciences - Molecular Biology from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain) studying molecular pathology of enzyme deficiencies. She then trained as a postdoctoral fellow in targeted drug delivery at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School where, thereafter, she held a Research Assistant Professor position in the Department of Pharmacology. In 2008 she joined the Department of Bioengineering and the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research at the University of Maryland in College Park (UMD), where she is an Associate Professor since 2012. Dr. Muro’s research focuses on ligand-mediated targeting and endocytic-based transport of nanomedicines into and across cells in the body, with emphasis on delivery of biological therapeutics, such as enzyme replacement therapies for treatment of inherited enzyme deficiencies. She has published over 60 articles and book chapters in this field, which have received recognitions by the Controlled Release Society, the American Society for Nanomedicine, the World Organization for Rare Lysosomal Disorders, the Society for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, and others. She received the UMD Outstanding Life Sciences Invention of the Year award in 2011 and the Junior Faculty Outstanding Research award in 2012. Dr. Muro served in the organizing committee for the International Conference on Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine in 2012, is an editor for three journals in this field, and from July 2014 is serving as a standing member of the NIH Nanotechnology (NANO) Study Section.

SILVIA MURO, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorUniversity of Maryland College Park

from Columbia University. Lezama was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, Alpha Pi Mu and is an alumnus of Robert Toigo Financial Services and The National GEM Consortium fellowship programs.

A native New Yorker, Brooklyn by way of The Bronx, Lezama’s straight forwardness and dry wit would make the city proud. Lezama is married to Ricardo Lezama. They have two daughters.

Pedro Peña is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland. His degree specializations are in Power and Controls. He has completed three semesters of undergraduate research on photovoltaics and energy harvesting methods with the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics. His current research involves optimizing an energy management system for a hybrid electric vehicle.

Pedro has held three internships with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation working as part of the Systems Integration and Tests team to design, construct and test an autonomous electronic defense system. He has also held an internship with the U.S Department of Energy where he worked on a project to retrofit a 50 kilowatt photovoltaic system. His interests include power electronics, controls, and renewable energy.

PEDRO PEÑAMS Student-Systems EngineeringUniversity of Maryland College Park

Dr. Darryll Pines became Dean and Nariman Farvardin Professor of Engineering at the Clark School on January 5, 2009, having come to the school in 1995 as an assistant professor and served as chair of the school’s Department of Aerospace Engineering from 2006 to 2009.

As dean, Pines has led the development of the Clark School’s current strategic plan and achieved notable successes in key areas such as improving teaching in fundamental undergraduate courses and raising student retention; achieving success in national and international student competitions; giving new emphasis to sustainability engineering and service

DARRYLL PINES, Ph.D.Nariman Farvardin Professor and DeanA. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland

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Dr. Renetta Garrison Tull is Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland), where she is the Co-PI and Founding Director for the National Science Foundation’s PROMISE: Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) for the 12 institutions in the University System of Maryland, and Co-PI LSAMP’s Bridge to the Doctorate at UMBC. Dr. Tull has worked with thousands of students from Alaska to Puerto Rico, and in Latin America through graduate school preparation workshops that have been sponsored by The National GEM Consortium and partners (e.g., NSBE, AISES, SHPE), the National Science Foundation’s PROMISE AGEP, and UMBC.

RENETTA GARRISON TULL, Ph.D.Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs University of Maryland, Baltimore County

She has presented workshops on graduate school admissions, “The Success Equation,” STEM initiatives, and PhD Completion in Panama, Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and schools across the United States.

Tull earned the B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Howard University, the M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Ph.D. in Speech Science from Northwestern University, and researched speech technology as an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has co-authored several publications on achievement in STEM fields, and is a mentoring consultant for Purdue, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, and MIT. She is a Tau Beta Pi “Eminent Engineer” and was a speaker for the 2013 U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference. She co-leads the “ADVANCE Hispanic Women in STEM” project in Puerto Rico, the Latin and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions’ (LACCEI) “Women in STEM” forum, and the Foro Estudiantil (Student Forum) in Latin America. Dr. Tull led the National Science Foundation’s “International Engagement for Women of Color in STEM” delegation to Ecuador in 2014, and she leads the annual Graduate School Workshop at the Research Symposium for Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez (SUAGM) in Puerto Rico. She is finishing a paper and presentation on minority graduate student STEM diversity that was accepted for publication for a conference in Dubai, and her book about success, Solving for ‘S’ (co-authored by her husband, Dr. Damon Tull), will be published in a few months. Dr. Tull has been a consultant for the National GEM Consortium for several years, and she loves every minute of the GEM GRAD Labs!

learning; promoting STEM education among high school students; increasing the impact of research and expanding philanthropic contributions to the school.

During Pines’s leadership of aerospace engineering, the department was ranked 8th overall among U.S. universities and 5th among public schools in the U.S. News and World Report graduate school rankings. Pines have been director of the Sloan Scholars Program since 1996 and director of the GEM Program since 1999.

During a leave of absence from the University (2003-2006), Pines served as Program Manager for the Tactical Technology Office and Defense Sciences Office of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). He also held positions at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Chevron Corporation, and Space Tethers Inc.

Pines received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology..

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GEM GRAD Lab Facilitators

Taifa Simpson earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Master of Arts in Higher Education Policy and Leadership, both from the University of Maryland College Park. She has 15 years of experience working in higher education developing and designing programs for pre-college, undergraduate and graduate students. Her focus is on the development and academic success of underrepresented students in STEM fields. She has previously held the position of Assistant Director of the MARC U*STAR Program and NIH funded research training program, at University of Maryland Baltimore County. Currently Mrs. Simpson is the Assistant Director of the Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering in the A. James Clark School of Engineering and the LSAMP Program Director at the University of Maryland College Park.

TAIFA SIMPSON - FacilitatorAssistant Director of the Centerfor Minorities in Science and EngineeringUniversity of Maryland College Park

Dr. Peter Kofinas is a Keystone Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. He is Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Graduate Programs in the Clark School of Engineering. He also holds affiliate appointments with the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and with the Materials Science and Engineering Departments.

Dr. Kofinas received Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT in 1994 as part of the interdisciplinary Program of Polymer Science and Technology (PPST). He was then appointed as a post-doctoral research associate in the department of Chemical Engineering at MIT for 2 years before joining the faculty at University of Maryland in September of 1996.

The main thrust of Professor Kofinas’ research program aims in the synthesis characterization and processing of novel polymer based materials used in a variety of technological fields ranging from medicine to energy storage and microelectronics. Present problems of interest include: solution blow spun functional polymers as topical and surgical sealants; synthetic polymer hemostatics; polymers that change color upon detection of pathogens; point-of-care diagnostic biosensors for urea cycle disorders in infants; functional magnetodielectric polymer nanocomposites for flexible antennas; all-solid, shape-conforming, non-flammable, polymer electrolytes for lithium ion batteries.

Professor Kofinas received the CAREER award from the National Science Foundation in 1999 for his research and educational activities on block copolymer nanostructures. Professor Kofinas was awarded the Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching award from the School of Engineering at the University of Maryland in 1999. In 2006, Professor Kofinas was awarded the endowed Keystone Professorship for his exemplary undergraduate teaching skills and commitment to excellence

PETER KOFINAS - FacilitatorAssociate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Graduate Programs/Professor of BioengineeringUniversity of Maryland College Park

in teaching fundamental engineering courses. The Keystone Professorship appointment was renewed in 2009. In 2007, Dr. Kofinas won the Outstanding Invention of the Year award for the second time, awarded by the Office of Technology Commercialization at the University of Maryland. In 2011 Dr. Kofinas received the Engaged Faculty Award 2011, from the Clark School of Engineering, U. of Maryland. This is an honor that has been bestowed upon faculty by the Clark School of Engineering through undergraduate student nominations, because they are approachable, take a genuine interest in and have concern for their students, especially outside of the classroom, are accessible, have high expectations of their students, encourage students and provide advice and support on academic and extracurricular activities. In 2012 Dr. Kofinas received the Senior Faculty Outstanding Research Award of the Clark School of Engineering, U. of Maryland. In 2013 Dr. Kofinas received the Faculty Outstanding Service Award of the Clark School of Engineering.


How to Apply for the GEM Fellowship (with tips)

Complete Part I of the Application

After registering, you will be directed to the application form.Answer the questions carefully and accurately and include your resume and unofficial transcript (for each University or college attended after high school). You will need to have your employment and educational history (and, if applicable, information on research experiences) handy to complete the questionnaire. If you cannot answer all the required questions, you can save your draft application and return to the application later to complete.

Complete Part II of the Application by November 15, 2014

Part II requires you to submit supplemental material:

Statement of Purpose—You must submit at least a one page statement of purpose that outlines your academic, research and/or career goals.For tips go to www.statementofpurpose.com.

Tip: Please focus your statement of purpose on your career/ research goals (i.e., do not focus on your deficiencies in your past, why you would make a great GEM Fellow, etc. focuson the future, how great you will be in your dream highly technical/research area of interest).

Letters of Recommendation—Request directly from 3 faculty members (preferred) or a high level technical manager (who holds a STEM graduate degree) if they are willing to complete an on-line form to strongly recommend you to receive the GEM Fellowship. We will not accept letters via email, fax, or via postal mail, all recommendations must be attached to your electronic eGEM application. At least two of your recommenders must submit their recommendations on-line by 11:59 PM Eastern on November 15th.

Register Online at GemFellowship.org

Go to www.gemfellowship.org. Click on the url in the large blue box in the right bar menu to Log In to eGEM. Register-ing with eGEM creates an account that allows you to work on your application securely, to save draft work, and return later to complete and submit online. After registering, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with information for later use.

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1

Tips:

1. TYPE IN EACH EMPLOYER you worked for in the on-line application. (Simply attaching a resume and not typing in each past Employer will decrease your chances of receiving the GEM Fellowship).

2. RESUMES: Make sure your resume has been reviewed by a professional, i.e., your campus intern placement staff, English professor, etc. Please make sure you include your GPA on your resume. Please also include key words that describe your skills, like specific computer programs, e.g, MATLAB, interest in a specific research field that may be a different name than your actual major, like “nuclear engineering”, and any skills acquired on past internships e.g., “supply chain”. A polished resume makes a huge difference in the GEM application.

3. GRE SCORES are not required however they are highly recommended. Applicants are however required to answer all of the questions we ask about the GRE, i.e., the date you plan to take it, if you do not plan to take the GRE, why not, etc. as prompted about the GRE. You can scan a copy of your GRE score report to your eGEM application (i.e., you do not have to pay for an additional report). If you choose to list GEM for an additional report our code is 1305.

4. LIST 3 GRADUATE SCHOOLS: Unless you are already in a STEM Ph.D. program (or in the first year of a STEM master’s program) at a GEM school, to submit a complete GEM application you are required to directly apply to at least 3 GEM Member Universities between Nov 15–Jan 15. For Part I, you just have to list the names of 3 schools you will most likely apply to after November 15th. Research the schools to make sure they have a program you are interested in!

Tips:

1. QUICK ON-LINE FORM: Let your recommenders know the on-line form takes five minutes to complete. A letter is not required, however they will have an option to cut and paste a letter as part of their electronic form submission.

2. FACULTY SUBMISSIONS SUGGESTED: Please make sure at least one recommendation form is from a faculty member.

3. STRONGLY RECOMMEND 3 SUBMISSIONS You are asked to submit 3 emails and phone numbers of recommenders. Your application will be complete if at least 2 recommenders submit. However your application is automatically scored higher if you have 3 recommendations on file.

The strict deadline to submit a complete on-line GEM application is 11:59 PM Eastern on November 15th

The deadline to submit your complete GEM application is November 15th. The deadline to submit your STEM graduate application directly to 3 GEM member schools is January 15th.

5. DRAFT: You can save your application as a draft up until question 10 (Part I). Do not go past Part I of the application until you feel your answers are final. To have your application viewed by GEM Employers in our first review round, you must submit Part I by October 1st.

GeM aluMni:Examples of Success

Frank Martinez

Worldwide DirectorDigital Inclusion &

Government PC ProgramsIntel Corporation

Johney B. Green Jr., Ph.D.

Division DirectorFuels, Engines and

Emissions Research CenterOak Ridge National Lab

Christine Ortiz, Ph.D.

Associate ProfessorMaterial Science and Dean

of Graduate EducationMassachusetts Institute of

Technology

Jorge Rivera

Worldwide PresidentSupply Chain

Johnson & Johnson

Robin Coger, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Engineering

North Carolina A&T

S. Keith Hargrove, Ph.D.


Tennessee State University

Darryll Pines, Ph.D.


University of Maryland College Park

Eric Sheppard, Ph.D.


Hampton University

18 GRAD Lab

Questions can be directed towards: Dr. Catherine Amelink, Director of Graduate Programs and Assessment, College of Engineering: [email protected]

STEM Graduate Programs

“…when I am done I will have knowledge and a continuously growing skillset that allows me to develop, implement, and sustain work that I am passionate about-and do so in a manner that is creative, independent, and of high quality.” – Monica Motley, graduate student pursuing a PhD in Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences and a Masters of Public Health Degree in the Department of Population Health Sciences

General Admission Information/Graduate Life: http://graduateschool.vt.edu/

Applications and Information: https://www.applyweb.com/apply/vtechg/

College of Engineering, Admissions, Programs, Links to Funding: http://eng.vt.edu/students

College of Science, Admissions, Programs, Links to Funding: http://science.vt.edu/student/graduate/student-graduate-prosp.html

“I want to teach at a university level. I got here with a couple ideas in mind and not 100% sure if I was going to get a PhD or what I would do with it if I did. But after 3+ years, I'm pretty certain that's what I want to do. It will provide me the opportunity to teach the topics I enjoy..” – Allison Studley, Mechanical Engineering graduate student


September 13 September 13 September 20 September 20 September 27

September 27 October 4 October 4 October 11 October 18

October 18 October 25 To Be Determined November 6 March 2015

Upstate New York

2014-2015 GEM GRAD Labs sponsored by the University Hosts, Co-hosts, Sponsors and the Intel Foundation

2014 - 2015 GRAD Labs

university of maryland 2014 grad lab

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