If your email address is “sexyhotdude@_____.__”, I’m throwing your application away

This quote came from the director of a graduate fellowship program during his talk to potential graduate students this morning! I am in Minnesota at the AISES conference and I gave a talk a this morning to undergrads in STEM fields from across the nation about preparing for graduate school. But it was this quote in a talk that came after mine, that made me want to say more about the topic of professionalism.  One of my colleagues at UMBC often tells students not to use email addresses that don’t characterize you as a scholar. Dr. Morgan gives the audience a very serious “you’d better do it” look when she tells them about changing their voicemail message songs from a misogynistic background song to a basic straightforward message, and not using addresses like “SweetHoney@yahoo.com” or “MissThang77@gmail.com”. But I have never heard a rendition presented with as much emphasis as the one that I heard this morning. These students were told, point blank, that their applications would be thrown away if they have email addresses other than something professional like “firstname.lastname@gmail.com”.

Competition for graduate school and professional positions is increasing, so we tell students that they must present themselves in the very best way possible. To go further, I highly recommend updating your LinkedIn site or have a professional website that describes your research or your academic work. If your academic department provides you with a template for a website, then please take advantage of this service and populate it. What do people see when they google your name? Take a look and see. Plan to control your own online reputation.  Take some time to do this. For starters, create a professional email address … and use it.

Thank you Colleagues of The Graduate School at UMBC for a Great “National Boss Day!”

I had the biggest surprise today as I walked up to my office and saw stars on the ground at my feet … stars with my name and those of my team. It was a “Walk of Fame” for National Boss Day! I smiled from ear to ear and saw that other members of The Graduate School at UMBC’s Leadership Team had similar walks in front of their doors as well. What a thoughtful sentiment! Later in the morning, as I was having a staff meeting, Natasha and Miguel (who work with me as part of Graduate Student Development and PROMISE) reminded me that I had a meeting in the conference room. Soon, others were coming by to let me know that it was time for the floor-wide meeting. I’m often late for meetings as I try to finish that last email or phone call, so having people come to my door to “get me” for the meeting wasn’t unusual. I didn’t suspect that anything was different, but I was in for something big!

I adjourned my team meeting and went to the conference room to join the rest of the floor and was met with the biggest surprise. The other members of our Leadership Team were outside of the conference room and as our colleagues invited us into the conference room, we were met with heavenly classical music, candlelight, dimmed lights and a full buffet of delicious food! The conference room had been transformed into a private dining room! It was absolutely beautiful. There were lamps, floral arrangements, table clothes, and other items that really changed the decor of a typical meeting room. As the 7 of us sat around the table (representing each of our areas on the 2nd floor of UMBC’s Administration Building: Graduate Dean’s Office, Associate Dean’s Office, Graduate Enrollment, Progressions, Financial Services, International Education Services, and Graduate Student Development), we were told that we were to enjoy the food, talk about anything other than work for an hour, and relax.  I laughed as Natasha, one of my GAs,  promptly came over and took my notebook away. Others followed suit and removed portfolios and planners from the premises.  Our task was clear. We were to enjoy ourselves. Well, we know how to follow orders … we talked about families, vacations, travel, history, movies, and even laughed at some of our own idiosyncrasies  and chuckled as we recounted stories of a past faux pas or two.  We also talked about how happy we were to have the chance to work with such wonderful people, acknowledging that our situation was indeed special.

The food was delicious! Our colleagues took time to remember everyone’s special favorites, so we had everything from super healthy things like carrot juice, green juice, salad, and tuna sandwiches, to beans and rice, jerk chicken, and fried chicken, to treats like cracker jacks, a fruit tart, peanut M&Ms, brownies, and oatmeal raisin cookies. On top of that, we each had $100,000 candy bars at our place settings, and special cookies — chocolate chip! — in special ribboned packages with our names in a star.

The Graduate School at UMBC is a special place to work! Here are the names and pictures of our wonderful colleagues: http://www.umbc.edu/gradschool/contact/staff.html in the Graduate School! We also have great colleagues in the office of International Education Services.

We’re very thankful to our colleagues for a great National Boss Day! Here we are, just before we ate. (L-R: Brian, Lisa, Renetta, Jill, Arlene, Robert, and Janet.)

I really enjoyed the entire day. We all did! We even had a special video from our teams, our entertainment for the afternoon. Thank you to everyone for the heartfelt video! I have it here so that I can enjoy it over and over again.(Thanks Alicia, our resident producer!)

I also say a special thank you to my team, Miguel and Natasha, who are a joy to work with! Thank you for loving what we do!

Work Hard, Play Hard … My Staff and I in Puerto Rico

This past weekend, my Graduate Assistants and I were in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the Ana G. Mendez University System Research Symposium.  I’ve been to Puerto Rico before since I regularly work with faculty, staff, and students from the universities on the island. However, this was the first visit for my GA staff members, Natasha Ramoutar and Miguel Nino. They work hard on campus for UMBC,  and they worked hard and had long hours in Puerto Rico. They started their Saturday with set-up at 7:30 AM and the awards banquet ended around 9 PM … that’s a 13+ hour day! But with working hard comes taking some time to smell the roses, or in their case, time to go to the beach.  Here are some of the photos.

 

Although I put a lot on their plates, I didn’t force them to pull out the Blackberries on the beach! There was also time on the campus of Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) with Molly Hardigree Cancel and in the lab of Dr. Beatriz Zayas.  Natasha and Miguel did a GREAT job recruiting for UMBC and representing PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP.  I’m very proud of them!

 

My Fall 2011 “Tour” – Going to Puerto Rico, CA, ATL, NY, Boston

I always enjoy giving talks at various schools, and with my bags regularly packed, it can feel like being on tour. Last Fall was especially busy and Spring was a little bit lighter, but I might slow down (a little bit!)  The Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 schedules were fun, and now it’s time for Fall 2011.

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Here is the schedule: (Updated 10/18/11)

September 2011:

• Puerto Rico: AGMUS Undergraduate Research Symposium (Lunch Keynote, Saturday, Sept. 17)
• University of Texas at Arlington AGEP Conference (Morning Plenary, Friday, Sept. 23)

October 2011:

• NJ:  NJIT (Speaking for GEM’s GRADLab)
• NY: Cornell “Master Your Future” Workshop  (This will be a Saturday workshop on preparing for graduate school.)
• Atlanta: Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Institute for Teaching and Mentoring (Sharing information at the Saturday “Chalk Talks” for STEM students.)
• California: Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Graduate Institute. AGENDA.  (My workshop on relationships with advisors will be for first-year graduate students, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2:00 – 3:15 PM. )

November 2011:

• Boston: MIT meeting (Invited participant for the Deeper Engagement Working Group)
• Minneapolis: AISES Conference (Speaking at the GEM GRADLab)

New Mexico Green Chiles, Basler Cookies, & Swiss Chocolate

This past weekend at the PROMISE Summer Success Institute, two of our guest speakers presented me with gifts. Dr. Ernesto Muñoz brought me green chiles from New Mexico, and Terra Trax facilitator Craig Imler brought me Giandor chocolate and swiss gingerbread-styled cookies (I think that they are Basler Leckerli/Läckerli or Basel cookies … there are many different spellings!)  from his recent trip to Switzerland.  Eating cookies and chocolate are self explanatory, but I needed a little bit of help with the chiles. Therefore, I consulted the internet! I don’t really “do” hot/spicy foods, but I really wanted to taste these, so I sought advice online. I learned that they are very perishable, so you have to cook them quickly. I didn’t want to waste them, so I decided that tonight would be the night. As per the directions, I roasted them (ok, I broiled them), let them “sweat”, peeled them, and prepared to eat. I didn’t have a meal in mind; I must have just decided to eat peppers. I tried one … and of course, it was hot! (What did I expect?) So I sought a way to save my meal of peppers by finding something to cool it down. I took out the tortilla chips, and thought that I could make some kind hot/cool dip with the sour cream. But alas, the sour cream had a date of 8/24/11, so that wasn’t going to work. Back to the refrigerator, I found some cream cheese. Date: 12/10/11 … ok good to go! Now what? I proceeded to spread cream cheese on the tortilla chips and top them with the roasted green chiles. It was good! As I was doing it, I thought of all of the people at home who make up strange but delicious food concoctions. Yes, tortilla chips, cream cheese, and roasted green chiles. It works! Now that I’ve had my fill of that, I’ve moved on to the very addictive Basel cookies. No instructions needed.

I’m not addicted to my computer(s), really!

My husband is funny. I was supposed to be resting this past week, but there was one day when I needed to get something done, so I “borrowed” my husband’s computer (my laptop is toast). At the end of that day (night), I was satisfied that I’d gotten some work done because it was bothering me that although I was off from work, there were things left undone. (I needed to get a website launched, and that was important!) He was not happy (apparently) and told me in no uncertain terms that I’d spent way too much time on the computer. Then, he locked me out of his computer! I was laughing, but shocked. That’s what I get for marrying a computer guy. I guess it *was* crazy to have a laptop, a Tab, a Blackberry, and a Droid surrounding me while I was supposed to be sleeping. But I was productive! (And that’s an exhilarating feeling!)  I’m not addicted, really. Admittedly, he was right because I was totally out of it for the next 24 hours. I have strict instructions to rest until I return to work on August 8. I’m working on it.

I found out that my husband’s lockout was temporary and that it was only configured to last for a few days! Whoo-hoo!  So I at least got a chance to visit my church’s Facebook page this morning, and I wonder if there is anything else that I can do before my husband catches me and reminds me that I’m supposed to be in bed. Now … I just have to find those chargers for the Tab, the Blackberry, and the Droid … they were right here yesterday, really.

Don’t panic, it’s true. The GRE for grad school admission changes on 8/1!

Yesterday, UMBC hosted the Summer Horizons Program for about 100 undergraduates who are conducting summer research at NASA, UMBC, NSF, University of Maryland College Park, and other locations. One of the top items that the students identified in the evaluations as new information that they didn’t know prior to coming to the program was about the GRE … the NEW, REVISED GRE.  One comment stood out … “I didn’t know the GRE was changing!!!!!!”  Yes, the GRE is changing. If you want to take the current GRE, you’ll have to do it by July 31.  The new GRE administration begins on August 1.  There are many changes, but don’t worry, the GRE website has a wealth of information, including some extensive explanations and sample questions.  Some of the highlights include the following:

• You can go back to previous questions and change your answers.
• No analogies and no antonyms
• An on-screen calculator has been added.
• There are new kinds of fill in the blank questions. You’ll see  text completion questions for the verbal reasoning section and numeric entry questions for quantitative reasoning (math) section.
• The test is longer, 3 hours and 45 minutes.
• The analytical writing section is largely the same, except that both essays sections are now 30 minutes.
• The scoring range is different. You’re no longer scored in 10 point increments between 200-800. The score range will now be from 130-170, in 1 point increments. Analytical Writing sections (essays) are scored in the same way, on a 0-6 scale.

I was trained as a GRE Educator by ETS in Princeton several years ago, and I’ve been giving GRE talks at schools and conferences for years, so I am very familiar with the current test. However, I’m pleased to post that the GRE website has provided much more information online for this new exam. The exam may be changing, but test takers are not at a loss. For example, the “Math Review” document has been expanded, and there is a “Math Conventions” guide to give testers basic rules like “all problems use real numbers” or “base 10 is used at all times.” This document helps testers to reduce assumptions that can accompany anxiety and affect performance. On our Summer Horizons Resources page, beneath the short funding information section, we’ve outlined (in bullet form) the math skills that you need to know for the exam.   A new version of the preparation software, Power Prep II, has also been launched. It’s important to practice using the software because the GRE is computerized exam. Paper exams are only given in locations in the world where computer technology isn’t available, so most of the readers of this post will be taking the computerized version.  Many students today are taking exams using Blackboard or another brand of classroom management software, so testing online won’t be a new concept. Regardless of your familiarity with that modality, all test takers should practice with Power Prep II.

In conclusion, yes, the test is changing.  The key is to use your resources.  Study and use the preparation materials on the website;  utilize all of the resources. You should know that site inside and out. You can do well! Most of the questions have content from high school and the first two years of college. The questions are based on reasoning, so you made need to get used to the questioning style to shift your thought process into reasoning mode, but you can do it. Good luck to all of the new graduate school applicants!

[The 2011 Summer Horizons Program was co-sponsored by PROMISE: Maryland's Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), an NSF funded program, and the UMBC Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program, an NIH funded program. Find more seminars for graduate students through PROMISE at http://promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com/  Find PROMISE on Twitter @PROMISE_AGEP]

Working with the Summer Dissertation House at UMBC this week

This week, I’ve been working with Dr. Wendy Carter (“Head Coach”) as a co-leader for UMBC‘s annual Summer Dissertation House. This event brings together advanced graduate students who have applied for a space in a 4-day workshop on writing the dissertation and preparing for the defense.  I blog for the Dissertation House and you can read some of the posts for this week:

• “Good Morning Dissertation House!” — A TV styled interview exercise
• Counseling, Laughter, and Ice Cream: Summer in the Dissertation House
• UMBC Opens the Summer 2011 Dissertation House

The Summer Dissertation House at College will begin on the campus of the University of Maryland College Park in two weeks.

I am co-founder of the Dissertation House, along with Drs. Wendy Carter and Janet Rutledge.  The Dissertation House has been acknowledged in:

• Glenn, D. (2010, March 31) “Help to the Finish Line: Ways to Reduce the Numbers of Ph.D. Dropouts”, The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• Sowell, R. S., Bell, N. E., & Kirby, S. N. (2010). Ph.D. Completion and Attrition: Policies and Practices to Promote Student Success, Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.
• Chubin, D.E., DePass, A. L., & Blockus, L. (2010). Understanding Interventions the Broaden Participation in Research Careers: Volume III. Embracing a Breadth of Purpose. Washington, D.C.: UnderstandingInterventions.org.  “Dissertation House: Graduate Innovation in Ph.D. Completion and Retention” pp. 69-71.

The Dissertation House is sponsored and supported by PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP (a program of the National Science Foundation), The UMBC Graduate School, The Council of Graduate Schools, The University of Maryland College Park, and the University of Maryland – The Founding Campus (formerly known as the University of Maryland Baltimore.)

You’re not finished, e.g., Science : Basketball :: Lab : Gym

Renetta @ MIT, standing inside of Juame Plensa's "Alchemist" sculpture of mathematical symbols. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/plensa-installed.html

I have the wonderful opportunity to speak with students around the country, and this post is both written for and inspired by them. Sometimes I meet students who are experiencing their first summer internship, or participating in their first research assignment, and my eyes widen when they say things like, “Well, I went to the lab for a few hours, then I didn’t have anything to do, so I was finished and left.” I hear similar thoughts often, and believe me, I’m not trying to produce a generation of workaholics, and my students and colleagues (and family!) will tell you that I need to exercise more work-life balance.  However,  to my young, budding scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians, you are not finished just because the next assignment is still in your professor’s head or pending email.  There is ALWAYS something to do, there is ALWAYS something new to learn. Key words here: self-discovery and independent learning.

The analogy in my title is based on a section of a talk that I gave last year at MIT, and I touched on it again when I spoke to summer students a few weeks ago.  When you’re training to be a scientist, you live and breathe the science and love the sense of thinking about problems and finding solutions.  Per my title, when basketball players think about basketball, they are in the gym all of the time; during the summer months, they are on the court.  They play when the sun comes out, and are playing until it gets dark. They love the game! They carry their basketballs around with them. Likewise, you see the same thing with dance, and I’ll throw a little bit of summer TV into the mix to make my point. FOX-TV has a wildly popular show called, “So you think you can dance.” It features young dancers who work to become “America’s top dancer.” I like this show. These folks dance ALL of the time. They dance when they walk, they dance when they talk, and when they go to the studio to practice, they stop to rest, but they often want to keep going. My pastor has a great saying on Sunday mornings … he often says “I’m not finished, I’m just quitting.” He means that he has so much to say and so much to share from the Bible that there is just not enough time to get it all in. We’re often on the edges of our seats waiting for what comes next. Sometimes, he cuts it off, not because he’s finished, but just because of time.

I think that the STEM disciplines get a bad rap, and somewhere along the line, people were given the perception that the time spent practicing that craft of being scientist or engineer or mathematician should be limited. But no, you don’t have to make it fair-weather friend. Love your science and desire to (ethically) discover new things! (Writing this also reminds me to appreciate my husband who is regularly on one of his many computers and reads books on ill-posed inverse problems … for fun!) Simply for the joy of discovery.   Don’t neglect friends and family, but enjoy those equations. My dad used to teach math at Seton Hall University, and he taught me calculus. Because of him, I loved differential equations. When I first started doing algebra, and asked for help, he would clap his hands and say “Oh yeah, GOOD stuff!!” Then he would sharpen the pencils and get out a pile of scrap paper. My brothers will laugh at this memory, because we knew that if we asked Dad for help with math, we were going to be at that table for a while.  The joke was “don’t ask Dad for help with math if you want to go to sleep.” Looking back on it now, he did a great job of showcasing the joy of math. (Dad graduated from Howard University, School of Engineering in the late 1960′s. When I was inducted into Tau Beta Pi as an Eminent Engineer this year, I gave him a dedication in my speech during the reception. He passed away in 2001.)

Now that I’m writing this and have made myself emotional as I remember my father, I want to encourage those of you who are studying math, engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics, psychology, policy, etc. You are the next generation of our knowledge base. You have work to do.  So when you’re in the lab this summer or during the year, and you think that you don’t have anything to do, here are 10 things that you can consider:

1. Read  journal papers that were written by your advisor/mentor/PI or someone in the lab.
2. Talk to others in the lab. (Don’t be afraid of the postdocs!) Learn about what they are doing. Ask them about their journey and find out why they are so interested in what they are doing. Ask if you can have lunch or tea or a break with them to talk. Do this often.
3. Read the papers and posters that are on the walls of your department.
4. Clean up the lab, you might learn something new about the equipment or the chemicals.
5. Read the manuals and the websites for all of the equipment in the lab. Learn how to trouble-shoot!
6. Read the FAQs for the software that your lab uses, write some programs for fun, become an expert. Who doesn’t love the local Matlab guru?
7. Trace your equations back to the origins. (I actually did this with an assignment at Northwestern. I was struggling to understand some equations, and ended up going to the math library and looking at very old texts, including some in German! Some of the old books from the 1930′s explained concepts very well!)
8. Look up current events that are related to your work. Think about (write about, blog about, tweet about) the real-world applications.  Become a science enthusiast. Let others know who you are. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
9. Go to the symposia in your department and consider connections to your work that may be discussed in seminars in other departments. Become a sponge … absorb the knowledge, even if the content is advanced for your current level. Soak it up anyway. Write down terms and concepts that you don’t understand. Afterward, talk to people about what you understood and what you didn’t understand. You’re in a great position as a student, because you can say “I’m a student and I’m still learning, but I’d like to learn something more about this …” Professors LOVE to talk about their work, and they like when students are interested. Don’t be shy.
10. Try a new experiment, derivation, or algorithm. (If it involves expensive equipment or chemicals, discuss your thoughts with your professor first to get permission to tinker.) You may discover something new!

You can do this. Your work is important. You have a purpose to fulfill. You are not finished.

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Acknowledgement: Thank you to MIT and the MSRP program for generously sponsoring my workshops on this topic and encouraging me to develop this kind of content for students.

Spring/Summer 2011 Speaking Schedule

With the SnackBot robot at Carnegie Mellon during a meeting for the NSF Quality of Life Center (QoLT)

I sincerely thank all of my students and colleagues for their support over the years.  Many have been asking for my speaking and events schedule for the next few months.  Here are the dates that I have on my calendar.

March 2011: I enjoyed speaking at the National Convention for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) in St. Louis as a member of the GEM GradLab team. I also enjoyed speaking to the PCI students on Saturday morning.

It was also my pleasure to participate in the NSF site visit for the Carnegie Mellon/University of Pittsburgh’s Quality of Life Center (QoLT) in Pittsburgh on April 12.

April 14, 22 2011: Howard University, EE Day and Tau Beta Pi Initiation

May 2-4, 2011: COSEE (Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence) – Panel with DiOnetta Jones (MIT) and Sara Hernandez (Cornell), Rhode Island.

May 6, 2011: Universal Design Symposium sponsored by the QoLT Center, Intrepid Center, Naval Research Lab

May 26-28, 2011: AAAS Conference on Understanding Interventions that Broaden Participation in Research Careers  (tentative), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.

June 6-8, 2011: National Science Foundation HRD Joint Annual Meeting, Washington, DC

June 9-10, 2011: MIT, Boston (Topic: Optimizing Your Research Opportunities)

June, 2011: Summer Horizons (Topic: Graduate School Admissions, The GRE, and Funding)

June 21-23, 2011: WEPAN (Women in Engineering Proactive Network), Seattle, WA

June/June 2011: Planned participation in the Dissertation House sessions for UMB, UMBC, and UMCP

August 19-20, 2011: PROMISE Summer Success Institute (SSI)

You’ve just asked for a letter of recommendation … now I need some things from you

This year, I wrote so many recommendation letters and I decided to put these “tips” in a post online so that I don’t have to continue to type my “list” into emails.  These are the things that I need when I write a letter of recommendation. Perhaps other professors and academic professionals can share this list with their students.

Ten things to include in a “Recommendation Letter Request” packet

1.       Copy of resume or CV with lists of publications, presentations, participation in organizations (university level, regional, and national.)

2.       Research Statement

3.       GRE Scores (undergrad); Teaching Philosophy & Summary of students’ ratings w/list of courses taught (Grad)

4.       List of places to which you’re applying

5.       Bullet point list of your own highlights (differentiators, innovations, superlatives)

6.       Electronic list of links for departments to which you’re applying

7.       Transcript and GPA

8.       Due Dates

9.       Addresses, list of websites where letters should be sent (with labels if hard copies of letters are required.)

10.    Links to your websites

Please present all of the above information in both soft copy and hard copy (in a folder).

Questions that I ask myself as I consider saying yes or no.

• How do I know you?
• How do you  fit the description (job, grad school application, fellowship?)
• What is your experience? Is it relevant to the position that you’re applying for?
• Am I able to speak to specific examples where I’ve experienced your expertise?
• If you’ve worked for me, did you do a good job?
• If I’ve given you advice in the past, did you follow through?
• Why you are the best fit for the position?
• Am I willing to put my reputation on the line for you?

 

For all of my students who ask me for a letter, I will be directing you to this post so that you can see exactly what I’m expecting from you, please respond accordingly.  I do not write weak letters.  I do not write “lukewarm” letters.  Therefore, I will not write a letter for you unless I can write it from a position of strength.  If I agree to write a letter for you, I give you my word that my recommendation will be very strong.

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Thanks to Amanda Dove, my former University of Maryland College Park (Department of Hearing and Speech) Phonetics TA, who went on to study for a Doctorate in Audiology (Au.D) at Gallaudet.

Grad Student with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Excels! Kavita’s Story

It’s a new year and it’s a great time to remind yourself of what you can and will do.  Now is a great time to dismiss the “I can’t” thoughts and to be motivated by a plan that includes several definitive “I will” statements. To increase your level of motivation, please take a minute to meet someone who excels against odds and really exemplifies the “I can” spirit.  Meet Kavita.  Kavita Krishnaswamy is one of UMBC’s NSF LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellows.  She is a 2nd year graduate student in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and she has an “I can” and an “I will” attitude.  Kavita, a student with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA),  can no longer physically attend classes and can only type with one finger.  Last year, with the help of her Mom and her wheelchair, Kavita was able to come to campus and attend classes and our meetings. This year, she is only able to continue her studies and classes via Skype from home.  But even from home,  Kavita continues to maintain the highest grades … a 4.0 GPA while working on her research.  Kavita’s research on “Path Planning of a Robotic Arm in Real-Time” was recently accepted for presentation at a local conference in DC.  (Kavita’s advisor is Dr. Tim Oates. )

When she graduated with her undergraduate degree from UMBC in 2007, the following article was written about her in the UMBC Insights Newsletter (http://www.umbc.edu/insights/2007/07/in_the_news_63.html, July 20, 2007):

Kavita Krishnaswamy ’07, Muddappa Gowda, Mathematics, in the Catonsville Times
Summa cum laude Kavita Krishnaswamy ’07, computer science and mathematics, was profiled in the July 18 Catonsville Times. Krishnaswamy was born with spinal muscular atrophy and is only able move the index finger of her right hand.

Despite the obstacles she faces, Krishnaswamy graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Muddappa Gowda, professor of mathematics, lauded her “tenacity and her determination” in the article and described Krishnaswamy as “a role model for me.”

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So in 2011, before you say I can’t,  remember Kavita’s story and be inspired as she works on her graduate degree, one keystroke at a time. Be inspired and know that she is doing it, and you can do it too!

Read other articles about Kavita’s triumphs!

http://www.explorebaltimorecounty.com/news/6007906/straight-required-unswerving-effort/

http://www.fightsma.org/blog/spinal-muscular-atrophy-news-stories/sma-college-student-graduates-with-perfect-grades.html

Please share this story. Kavita reads this blog, so feel free to send her a message. I’m sure that she would appreciate hearing from you!

Troubled economy? Excited to say that my campus is hiring!

My business is higher education and with so many reports out about people not being able to find jobs, imagine the joy that I feel in being able to announce that my campus is hiring both faculty and postdocs! You see, I spend days and nights training undergrads to be graduate students, and training graduate students for success in their doctoral programs so that they can be ready to transition to careers.  It is especially exciting to know that my own campus is hiring.  So here is a message to other colleagues in HigherEd … tell your students that we’re hiring. I love working at UMBC because it is a place where the people really try. They make efforts to show that they care, they try to fulfill their promises, and most importantly, people have a chance to fulfill their dreams.

Listing of faculty positions: http://www.higheredjobs.com/institution/search.cfm?University=University%20of%20Maryland,%20Baltimore%20County

New Minority Postdoctoral Fellows Program: http://promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com/postdocs/umbc-minority-postdoctoral-fellows-program-2011-2012/

Skinny jeans & getting healthier DURING the holidays? A personal goal.

I have another blog dedicated to health (http://dietwithoutdeprivation.wordpress.com), and I realized that I hadn’t posted there since July! This is a sad state of affairs, because so many pieces of advice note that being cognizant of your diet and exercise (via journal or otherwise) can help with maintaining healthy habits.  So I started again with a list of 10 rules for maintaining health over the holidays. There were two catalysts for this post: 1) I was thrilled to be wearing my “skinny jeans” over the Thanksgiving holiday, and 2) I totally abandoned all of my healthy habits over a 5 day period. Yes … it was even in my twitter feed and was part of my Facebook comments.  I had macaroni and cheese for breakfast, had coconut cake, and sweet potato desserts, and all kinds of other goodies. And on top of that, I barely moved except from car to house and table to table, so exercise was totally thrown out of the window. And then came Monday. If you’ve read my “pancakes” post, you see what happened. But perhaps the kicker was the reading on the scale.  Could I have really gained 5 pounds between the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after? Hmmm. Did taking off those heavy (but cute!) necklaces make a difference? Not really. So … I reviewed my actions and behaviors and came up with the list of 10 rules.  I write this post as a testament to my desire for accountability. So, feel free to help me out over the next few months. One of my co-workers is great at this … if there is a gathering, she just says very directly, “No, you can’t have any.” I actually appreciate this! If anyone wants to join in, let me know. I’ll probably give some general thoughts on the Diet without Deprivation site, but tell the back stories here.

Thanksgiving Monday After “Remedy” … Pancakes?

I’ve found the cure for Monday after Thanksgiving eating. Pancakes! Yes, in my own weird world of eating, I’ve found pancakes to be my “cure.” This morning, I opened the fridge with thoughts of raiding and and ridding our family of the remaining leftovers.  Afterall, we had three sets of family dinners, and people cooked on different days, so we had a mound of treats left for picking and tasting. But, I really wanted one of my favorite breakfast/lunch/dinner/anytime meals … pancakes.  And although I picked through appetizers, heated some blueberry corn bread, and pondered helpings of sweet potatoes and greens, I still wanted pancakes.

So what was the cure? Make some! Yes, despite the tons of food remaining in the refrigerator, I started to cook. And I used the “organic” excuse. My brown eggs were organic, as was my milk and butter, and the flour was organic, and so was the salt, sugar, and baking powder.  And syrup? Maple syrup … pure grade B.  And did it work? YES! After making pancakes and eating straight from the kitchen without even sitting down, I am now cured from the Thanksgiving weekend leftovers.  No more food … not even a slice of that cranberry apple pie that I haven’t even had yet. Nope! Just a bottle of Smartwater, and maybe a salad later on.

_____________________________________________

Sample from more than 100 Thanksgiving 2010 family photos of the in-laws, brothers, and kids. This set has me w/ Husband’s aunt, sister-in-law, brother, and nephew.

 

So you want to go to Puerto Rico?

Recently, I ‘ve been asked the same question over and over again:  ”Where should I stay if I go to Puerto Rico?”  Since I was writing so many emails on the topic, I decided to create a post with some of the information that I’ve shared with friends and family.  I’ve stayed in hotels in from west to east:  Mayagüez, Dorado, Condado, Isla Verde, and Rio Grande and I’ve lived in apartments in Condado and Hato Rey.

Here are my opinions, based on archives of emails:

I’ve either stayed at or done business at the Caribe Hilton (very nice!), the La Concha (also nice!), and the Conrad Condado Plaza – this is ok. The prices can be expensive depending on the time of year that you travel.  I’ve seen the lowest rates in September and October.  These hotels have lots of taxes … room tax, resort tax, etc.

If you want a nice hotel to relax in, chill out in, etc., then you may have to spend some $$, and consider the La Concha or the Caribe.  The Caribe is a resort, so there is a resort fee, but it is worth it. There are restaurants within the hotel, it has its own beach, and you can get to old San Juan via taxi for less than $15.

The La Concha is great if you like the beach because you will have plenty of beach to enjoy! The La Concha is a Marriott property which is more expensive, but it is beautiful.  http://www.laconcharesort.com/. The beach is peaceful and nearly endless.  There are also many restaurants within walking distance, a Walgreens, and lots of shops. Taxi rides to Old San Juan are cheap — $12-$15. If you feel adventurous, you can walk, but it will take about 45 mins – 1 hour.
If you just want a clean spot to lay your head and you don’t care about the view because you’re going to go out daily or go to the beach every day, then you can go to the super-cheap, but clean Holiday Inn Express in Condado, or the Comfort Inn San Juan. The Holiday Inn Express is around the corner from the La Concha, the beach, the shops, etc. It is about $137 now, and can get down to $119, maybe lower. It includes continental breakfast. Parking is tough though because these hotels, right next to each other, are in a residential apartment neighborhood.  I’ve lived near both of them in an apartment.

Lots of people like staying in Condado for the convenience … close to Old San Juan, close to food, close to the beach!

I’ve stayed in Dorado (Embassy Suites), that’s nice if you want seclusion. It is in the middle of the Island. I’ve also stayed in Rio Mar, on the East side of the Island, it is also nice … but isolated which is nice if you don’t want to go anywhere except the hotel.  The hotel (Wyndham Rio Mar) is beautiful.

The hotel at Fajardo is very nice, but again, it’s good for isolation and relaxation.  I’ve eaten there, but haven’t stayed there. I’ve been to an event at the Ritz Carlton, and I can tell you that the food is good and that the hotel is simply gorgeous, but I haven’t stayed there. I like Condado because I can walk to get what I need. I’m 4 minutes from the beach, 7 minutes to Walmart, and 20 minutes to the grocery store … all on foot.

Are you looking for absolute quiet? If so, Condado may not be the place because it can get active — Island version of city living. the Caribe Hilton is quieter, but close to Condado, you can still cross the bridge on foot to get to shops, and Old San Juan is still close … a long walk or short cab ride.

SUMMARY:

I’m not a casino person and prefer beaches to pools.  My favorite hotel for value and amenities is the Caribe Hilton.  I’ll post some of my favorite pictures of this hotel in another post when I have more time.

Thinking Peaceful Thoughts

On a night like tonight when I am still up working, I find it relaxing to think about sunny days and breezy evenings.  Here is a photo that was taken last week (On Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico.)

October in Puerto Rico

It is wonderful to be in Puerto Rico again.  Even though I was just here last month, I enjoy the opportunity to work on this beautiful island.  Last week, I was with the National GEM Consortium in Mayagüez, which is on the west coast of Puerto Rico. This week, I am spending time in a variety of cities in the center of the island. It’s an interesting feeling for me … I’m not a tourist, but not native, but I am grateful to the people for their warmth and kindness toward me.  Here are some photos, more are coming.

The following photos show food from the Raices (“Roots”) Restaurant in Old San Juan.  The dishes are mofongo (a dish made from mashed plantains) with chicken, mofongo with shrimp, and  sweet plantains (“amarillos”) with rice.

I’m part of a “Grad School Admissions & Retention” Revolution. I’m “on tour!”

This “Travel” season is unlike any other! I’ve been blessed to be invited to speak at a number of schools and conferences about graduate school admissions and retention, and this year, I’m a programming consultant with the GEM GRAD Labs (Getting Ready for Advanced Degrees).  At a recent meeting, one of my colleagues said, “Hey … you’re on tour!” Well, perhaps, in a way. So here are the dates, including some from the summer so that you can see where I’ve been.  My mission: to help students to get into grad school, to help them STAY in grad school, to provide meaningful professional development (particularly in the area of soft skills training), and to assist with their transitions to careers.  If you’ll be at one of these venues below, let me know!

Summer 2010

June 2010: MIT MSRP — Boston, MA

June 2010: University of Maryland College Park, McNair Program — College Park, MD

July 2010:  National Science Foundation Summer Internship Program — Arlington, VA

Fall 2010

September 11, 2010:  Ana G. Mendez System, Undergraduate Research Symposium — San Juan, Puerto Rico

September 18, 2010: GEM GRAD Lab at RPI — Troy, NY

September 23, 2010: GEM GRAD Lab Massachusetts at Northeastern University — Boston, MA

October 9, 2010: GEM GRAD Lab Puerto Rico — Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

October 11, 2010: Universidad Metropolitana — San Juan, Puerto Rico (tentative)

October 23, 2010:  GEM GRAD Lab New York City (CUNY) — NY, NY

October 30, 2010: SHPE Conference, Graduate Institute — Cincinnati, OH

October 29, 2010:  GEM GRAD Lab, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Conference (SHPE) — Cincinnati, OH

November 2, 2010: “Women in Technology: Continuing Your Education”, CWIT, UMBC — Baltimore, MD

November 6, 2010:  “Preparing for Graduate School”, Cornell University — Ithaca, NY

November 11, 2010: GEM GRAD Lab, American Indian Science and Engineering Society Conference (AISES), Albuquerque, NM

Coming Spring 2011

January 2011: NAGAP Winter Institute — Miami, Florida

March 2011: GEM GRAD Lab National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) — St. Louis, MO

“Adopted” Students & Great Colleagues

The Research Symposium has ended for 2010, and my voice is hoarse … that hasn’t happened in a while.  I was thrilled to be able to participate in this year’s program. I was so proud of the graduate students’ panel … I’d met many of them as undergrads at UMET during my first few years of visits to Puerto Rico. Now, they are progressing through qualifiers and there will be a dissertation defense among them soon.  Today, as I talked with some of them, I said, “I’ve adopted you, and you are my students too.” And I meant that. I’m so proud of them.  I was also proud to serve as a judge and panelists with two friends from undergrad (Howard University) and grad school (Northwestern University) who are now professors.  They now bring their own students to the symposium and work with the conference each year.  It’s a great reunion, and it’s great to remember that we were once in the shoes of the students whom we are now mentoring.   Here are some pictures from today.  (My other photos weren’t taken in the best light, so these are the only ones that were clear enough to post.)

Renetta Tull in front of the sign for the Ana G. Mendez System's Student Research Development Center

Renetta w/ UMET alums who are now grad students at the University of California Irvine and the University of Maryland College Park

Drs. Carl and Melodee Moore

Back in Puerto Rico: A dinner meeting and a live lobster

Yes, I am back in Puerto Rico, and it is HOT down here! Tomorrow, I will be chairing a “Graduate School Orientation” which is a session on admissions procedures and programs for research preparation.  But tonight, I had the wonderful opportunity to have dinner meeting with colleagues from Universidad Metropolitana to discuss new and continuing projects and to eat!  We went to Morton’s Steakhouse and had a wonderful meal! You’ll notice below that there are pictures of a lobster. At Morton’s, they bring the food to your table before they cook it and describe it to you before giving you the “menu.”  Even though one of my colleagues was a vegetarian,  we were all fine with staring at the mounds of raw meat.  But to our surprise, the lobster began to move during the demonstration. Yes, you guessed it, it was alive!  Here are my photos of the day.

Colleagues from Universidad Metropolitana

Waiter explains the meat

The Lobster

It moved! It was alive and staring at me.

I ordered the salmon and tasted the chilean sea bass. Seafood, yes! Lobster, no thank you!

After 5 on Friday, Continuing on Saturday, Working for the Students!

It was after 5 on Friday, yesterday, when a colleague and I were still talking about the successes from her summer research program, and the things that we would need to do to support new and continuing students for Fall 2010. It was after 5:30 on Friday, yesterday, when our Graduate Assistant for PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP came into my office to remind me to give her information that she would need to welcome new students. It was after 6 on Friday, when my husband joked, “Are you ready to come home now?” It’s now Saturday morning, and I’ve already had text messages, Facebook messages, and tweets from students. And you know what? I might be tired, but I love this job!

If you’re in town next weekend, come out and join us next Friday and Saturday at the 2010 PROMISE Summer Success Institute. We “tweet” using  use @PROMISE_AGEP, #PROMISE2010, and http://bit.ly/d8bR7x (the short URL for the PROMISE SSI Website).  If you can only come to Friday’s “Secrets of the Faculty Interview”, visit http://my.umbc.edu/events/3936 for more details. We’ll also post updates on our PROMISE Facebook page.

Health and Wellness Thoughts for Grad Students – Inspired by the University of Maryland College Park’s Dissertation House

This week, I am sharing time with the Dissertation House at the University of Maryland College Park.  College Park provides participants with breakfast and afternoon refreshments as well as dining cards for meals that can be used at any of the campus’ eating establishments.  I was happy and surprised to see so many students choose healthy eating alternatives.  Some of the students opted to get food from UMCP’s Co-op which sells hot and cold organic and vegetarian foods. Students had dishes with broccoli, brown rice, and sides of falafel.  (It was interesting to see because my own planned dinner last night consisted of a roll-up using lavash bread with lettuce, tomatoes, falafel,  tahini, and hummos.)   This post was prompted by seeing the afternoon snacks roll into the room around 2:00 PM …  Stonyfield yogurt containers on ice, Nutrigrain bars, and whole fruit! (I’m a fan of Stonyfield yogurt as you can see from my short post on yogurt and granola.)

Students often talk about having a lack of energy and believe me, I know the feeling! However, there are some simple things that can be done to increase energy so that you can accomplish your goals for the day.  Here are a five easy tips:

• Limit sodas. While having an extra Coke or Pepsi in the afternoon may seem to give you an extra boost, you might find that you have to continue to consume those products to keep you awake and motivated.  I’m not a fan of mass consumption of products with high fructose corn syrup, so I would advise students to consider reducing or even eliminating sodas.  We often work with catering for campus events and we’ve started to notice that water is grabbed first, and that sodas are often left behind. This is a good sign! If you need carbonation, consider a beverage like a mineral water that has the fizz without the calories.  My favorites are Perrier and San Pellegrino.

• Limit sugary products. I love cake (and cookies, pie, etc. — I even blog about food!) but our human bodies need extra energy and sugary products often add extra, empty calories.  When you’re studying for class, studying for comps, or working on your dissertation, you want your body to be working at optimal capacity.  I’ve found that drastically reducing sweets from my diet has dramatically reduced my craving for them.  I still like cake! But in the case of yesterday’s delicious offerings (a student shared her strawberry shortcake birthday cake and chocolate cupcakes), I had a cupcake — suffered through the headache that it caused after the fact, but did not have any sugary products for the rest of the day.  In summary … consider eliminating processed foods with excess sugar. That may mean saying either a temporary or permanent good-bye to those childhood sandwich cookies or chocolate bars. But afterall, you’re training your body to be able to handle the stresses of the dissertation.  Is it worth a whole pack of cookies or a whole pint of ice cream? Think about it.

• Exercise.  Some students do this very well. One Dissertation House participant came in at 9:00 AM ready to go after spending morning time in the gym.  If you’re not a gym person, consider getting some kind of movement … as much as possible … whenever you can fit it in.   Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get up from your computer and walk around the building. Re-condition yourself to meet with people on campus in person instead of talking on the phone or writing an email (this is a tip from UMCP’s Associate Dean, Dr. Carol Parham.)

• Work with others. The concept of working with other people and not taking on the challenge to work by yourself is one of the themes behind The Dissertation House.  If you don’t have a structured writing group or people to talk with regularly, first look for something on your campus, then consider being the leader and starting your own group. Your group can be within your department or it can consist of other students across disciplines.  My dissertation topic dealt with automatic speech recognition systems and the common cold — a multidisciplinary mix of electrical engineering, physiology, and speech pathology.  But my dissertation buddies were in Kellogg, Northwestern’s  school of business.  My friends, now professors, Dr. Brenda Booth and Dr. Jaquelyn Thomas, used to go to brunch *every* Sunday after the early morning church service.  We also met in the Barnes and Noble bookstore of our local mall during the week with the pact that we would continue to meet there to write until each of us finished.  The group connection was so motivating that I was able to continue to write in that bookstore even after they’d graduated.  Learning that working in a group helped, I continued to write with others from time to time so that I could maintain connection, and frankly, so that I could have company on my journey.

• Faith-based outlets.  Some students have prayer groups, others take time during both the week and weekend to attend services.  The key is to remember your spiritual base. You don’t have to abandon your church life or prayer life just because you’re now in graduate school.  When I was writing my dissertation, I spoke with one of the ministers of my then-church (Second Baptist Church, Evanston, IL) and asked if I could use one of the Sunday school rooms with the long table on the 2nd floor so that I could write. Happy to help, the minister said that as long as the church doors were open, that room would be available to me. I used that room during some afternoons throughout the week and on some evenings. It was a comforting place to be and to this day, I remain thankful.

When I was ready to begin study for my comprehensive exams at Northwestern University (back in the day!), I knew that I was not ready for 24 hours of writing.  Our comps consisted of 8 hours of writing per day for three days, with neither books nor notes.  We had a 24 hour break between exams; my exams were taken during one week … on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Knowing that this day was coming, 6 months in advance of the exam period, I began to train so that my body could physically handle the mental stress. I incorporated lots of water, reduced sugars and fats, and walked for at least 40 minutes a day.  These were small concessions, but they worked!

Writing a dissertation can be stressful, and for some it is a lonely process.  If you’re writing by yourself, join us online! We will respond to you!  In fact, with new technology, I can get your message on my Blackberry and can let you know that you’re not alone! Plan now to take care of yourselves! Your health is valuable, don’t squander it for the sake of the dissertation.

Be well. Be strong. I congratulate you now as you journey toward your Ph.D.

The Joy of Having Protégés Who Will Surpass You

It has been a pleasure to have students say “I want to be like you” or “I want to have a job like yours.”  I’ve been blessed to have a job that I love and that I can shape.  I feel that I’ve been given a vision and a mission, and it’s wonderful to be able to work hard to fulfill it, but it’s even better when others take up the mantle and follow in your footsteps.  I have some students who are just phenomenal … and while they may have learned certain things from me, they have the potential to be better than me.  Sometimes I observe them and think “Wow, they’re already at this level of confidence, maturity, and proficiency as grad students, they’re going to be great once they are established in their careers!”

I’ve had a chance to talk with students who have so much potential, but they don’t have confidence yet.  They don’t see what I see. I see greatness! I’ve had the privilege of meeting students as undergrads and seeing them beginning to flourish as postdocs, new professors, and professionals.  And these folks are good! They are brilliant! But I remember when they were students … coming to my office and being nervous about not being good enough, or not being smart enough, or thinking about quitting. But now, they’re coming into their own and their research is so good that they are leading projects at the nation’s premier institutions, they’re able to appropriately challenge their colleagues to try better methods, and they are getting comments like “that was the best presentation on that topic that I’ve ever seen” or “Your work is groundbreaking.”

Here is a message to students: When a trusted mentor tells you that you’re good at something, believe them. Don’t doubt yourselves. We see many students and we’ve seen where the gaps are in our respective professions. You might have some special qualities that will fill some of those gaps. Often, we can see those qualities in you while they’re being developed.

This week, a former student (who was VERY quiet) is now a Dr. and was a guest speaker for other students who are coming behind him. His powerful confidence was extraordinary!

This week, another student accepted a position in a brand new department at a local university. She’s going to be a great professor!

This week, yet another former doctoral student is moving to another state to lead computing projects for the government.

And this week, I had the chance to observe two current students give a presentation at another school. It was videoed, so I watched it from my computer.  I was so proud; they were fabulous!

I’m at the point in my career where I’m often asked to recommend people for jobs, positions, or opportunities. And sometimes, I’m invited to give talks and my schedule is too full so I send someone in my place.  But it is comforting to confidently recommend someone whom I’ve had a hand in training. Beyond comfort, it’s  pure joy when I know that not only will s/he do a tremendous job, but either now, or in time, they will surpass my level and be better than me.

Summer Season for the Dissertation House

Our Dissertation House in Maryland has officially opened the Summer 2010 season.  Today, we invite all doctoral students, anywhere in the world, to join us online for the 2010 Summer Challenge. This invitation is being offered to provide doctoral students with an online community for working on their proposals and dissertations.

PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP and our alliance institutions (UMBC, UM Baltimore, and UM College Park) annually host Dissertation Houses on our respective campuses each summer. We realize that not everyone at our schools can come in person, and we realize that we can’t reach everyone. So we invite you to join us online, at no cost.  This invitation is free and is open to any student, regardless of your university.  You don’t have to be from Maryland to participate in the online challenge.  We welcome you! I’m one of the co-founders and mentor coaches and would be happy to have you join in!

Click here to get started: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/summer-2010-challenge/

Blogs, websites, and food for thought.

Photo from my DietwithoutDeprivation.com website

In a twitter conversation with someone from the Anita Borg Institute (I tweet @Renetta_Tull and @PROMISE_AGEP), there were jokes about our numbers of websites, blogs, twitter sites, and facebook sites. We discovered that we must be true technocrats because we maintained several sites for work and then had our own personal sites. We were way past 10! So as I assessed the different sites that I manage, I think that I’ll either need to hire a webmaster or consolidate sites. I’ll still use this one as my main “Master” site to branch to personal blogs and announce updates to work sites (e.g. NEW sites coming for Dissertation House, Success Seminars, PROF-it, etc.)  since I’m moving somethings off of Blackboard and into a more public arena.  In the meanwhile, my personal  “Diet Without Deprivation” blog (the dynamic site, compared to the static “Dietwithoutdeprivation.com” site) continues to provide short snippets of thoughts related to one of my favorite subjects: food!  I think about food often, so when I say “food for thought” I’m being quite literal.  Enjoy my little distractions.

• Cookies & Headaches — Those Ginger Lemon Cremes
• Passing up the office cupcakes
• Oh, Those Fries!
• Granola and Yogurt Breakfast
• Cranberry Tuna

Saying “No” to a husband’s gifts of food

I’m on a path to better health, and I recently said something very uncharacteristic to my husband: “Do not buy me any sweets or snacks. If I want them, I’ll buy them myself.” That sounds a bit harsh, but the other day, after he very sweetly bought me two of my favorite Dunkin’ Donuts (because I ALWAYS eat two … never just one, it’s a combination thing), I realized that I would sabotage my healthy eating regimen if I ate them. But … those doughnuts were a loving gift! He was thinking of me, and even bought my “combination” doughnuts — vanilla creme and a cruller. I have a whole Garrison family doughnut story, but that will be saved for another time. The point is that I made a decision to make that statement. And I had to feel ready enough to not feel guilty about doing it.  He said ok, so I don’t think that his feelings were hurt.  You can ask him when you see him.  (But I have to admit that I did eat 1/2 of each doughnut!)

Summer Project, Part 1: Updating Websites –New Facebook Page for PROMISE

The time has come to update both my personal websites and websites that I’ve developed for Grad Student activities. First up — Facebook. We’ve transitioned from a “group” to a “page.” Join us … “Like” us!  http://www.facebook.com/PROMISEagep. Next, we’ll have updated website information for Success Seminars, PROF-it (Professors-in-Training), and a more active PROMISE_AGEP Twitter site.

On the personal side, I’ll plan to update this site fairly regularly,  I will also update my “Diet Without Deprivation” site(s), and at some point (I don’t know when), I’ll update and re-introduce one of my favorite personal sites, based on “My House” where the concept behind my Wisconsin house went virtual.

For now, as time permits, I’ll stick with the work-related sites. Stay tuned for updates!

Renetta Garrison Tull likes

PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP

Heartfelt Message & 10 tips for Students — From a Mentor

Dear Students,

I write this because I genuinely feel love for you; and when you’re hurt, I’m sad. I am asking, begging, imploring you to follow the advice of professors and mentors who take the time to give you advice, work out situations that will help you, and move you closer to your goals.  We receive such joy when you reach your milestones! But we experience pain, whether you know it or not, when we tell you how to succeed and then you don’t follow our advice.  Some professors don’t care. But professors who mentor, directors who mentor, alumni who mentor, administrators who mentor … we care!

I’m sensitive to this as I’m returning to work and going straight into both meetings with students and grade audits. Sometimes things don’t work in your favor because you’ve experienced a personal situation, a family issue, or an illness. That is understandable. But sometimes, you don’t do well in your classes or with your projects because you’ve let laziness or fear overcome you.

Please note that we give of ourselves to give you tips to succeed because we’ve been where you are trying to go! We have the degrees that you are trying to get! We have jobs! We tell you how to get there, but when you don’t follow directions, it makes us feel like we’ve wasted our time. But often, we keep on working with you because we care. And yes, we really mean that!

Here are 10 tips to consider:

1. When a mentor tells you to call/email/visit a professor,  do it. It is usually for your own good. Even if the response from that professor seems negative, you’re usually always better off confronting the situation than ignoring it.






2. When a mentor gives you the name and contact information  of a “friend or colleague  in the business” who might be able to help you, contact them! Some mentors contact their friends in advance and tell them to expect your call. When you don’t call, it makes us look bad. When you then come back to us and tell us that you still haven’t found a postdoc or a job or an internship (AND you didn’t call), we’re saddened because if you had only called our colleagues like we told you to, you might have had a position by now.






3. When a professor tells you to come and see them for office hours, GO AND SEE THEM!!!! I feel like I am yelling. In a way, I am.  I’m a former professor who is now an administrator.  I work with both students and faculty. It pains me when a professor comes to me and says “I wanted to help Student A, but he never came to see me,” or “I had some extra books to share with Student B, but she always left class early and never talked to me.”  All professors should have some kind of a listing for office hours on their syllabus. GO AND SEE THEM! And when a professor writes “See me” on your paper or says “Come to office hours” … GO AND SEE THEM!  And this means to PHYSICALLY go and see them … face-to-face … this is not email time. (Sigh.)






4. Don’t be lazy. Check your work before you turn it in.  Check it several times. Then check it again.






5. Don’t be a loner. Start off the year looking for people to connect with. Yes, people are shy, and some may have preconceived notions about you, but ultimately you are all there for the same reason.






6. Work on simple things like speaking to people. Yes, that’s right. Say hi to people even if they don’t respond. This will help you with shyness. Say “good morning” to people in your path. Say “have a good evening” when you leave your department. Say “hi” to the person sitting next to you in class. It doesn’t make sense for you to go through an entire semester in the same seat and not even know the name of the person sitting next to you. To ease into this practice, arrive early and make some small talk after class. Ask about study sessions. YOU may be the one who has to organize it.






7. Don’t be afraid of different cultures. Learn about them. You may be surprised to see how many things you have in common, and you can learn to appreciate the differences.






8. Ask questions. I can understand not wanting to ask a question in class, but you should take a chance sometimes.  Ask questions of the professor before and after class. Make it your mission to understand what is going on.






9. Meet as many people as you can within your discipline and even outside of it … through programs on campus, meetings, conferences, etc. All of you should be actively participating in at least two groups or programs.  At least one should be discipline specific (e.g. ASME, IEEE, ACS, ASHA) and participate in *at least* one that will positively connect you to other students (e.g., SWE, NSBE, SHPE, SACNAS, PROMISE (AGEP), Toastmasters).  Without question, you should be actively involved in any group that is providing you with funding or considers you to be a member scholar (e.g. McNair, Meyerhoff, WISE, various fellowships, various scholarships).  My examples are related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) groups because of my personal experiences, but you can substitute your own organizations.






10. Finally, do not take your position in the academy for granted. Whether you are in undergrad or grad school, you have worked hard and you deserve to be there. It may be hard, but usually there is help! Reach out and utilize your resources … people and organizations on campus who can help you.  Plan to succeed! Don’t not be so nervous such that you set yourself up for failure.  You CAN do it. In memory of one of my former students who is now deceased (Jessica Soto Perez), you are alive … so you CAN do this! If you’re nervous, find people on campus who will reach out to help you.  Look for offices of student life and student affairs. We may not be able to solve all of the issues, but we will do what we can.  Don’t be afraid to go to the counseling center! It’s ok if you need to talk with someone! Take your place in the academy. You are there … you have a mission … you can succeed!

With warm regards, wishing the best for all of you,

Renetta Tull

(This message will be mirrored on my Facebook notes. Comments and questions are encouraged. If you’re looking for a person or office to help on your campus, we may be able to point you in the right direction.)

Let Her Eat Cake!

I love cake. That’s all there is to it. I recently had some cake baked or provided by family and ladies from my church … pound cake, German chocolate, and “birthday/wedding” styled cake, you know … the one with lots of icing. It made me think of calories, but I also thought about a story that I had posted on one of  my  private blogs a few years ago, it made me laugh as I was writing it, so I decided to post it here. Here is the entry, a blast from my 2007 past!

LET THEM EAT CAKE!

Modified & re-posted from one of my “Renetta & Friends”-esque  retired blogs – July 2, 2007

You’ve heard that saying before right? Well it is attributed to Marie Antoinette, but she really didn’t say it. According to one of the websites, “Let them eat cake” is loosely translated from the French Qu’ils mangent de la brioche, which basically means “let them eat a type of egg-based bread” this is not quite cake, but still a bit extravagant according to “ask Yahoo.” The story is that a princess heard that the peasants didn’t have any bread, so she said “Let them eat cake.” So why am I using this phrase today? It is because I had 3 pieces of cake yesterday! Yes, 3 … and this is my true confession of reckless abandon when it came to having cake!

So, here’s the story:

Piece #1:

We have dinner after church on first Sunday and they usually have the same thing, so I had the usual: a piece of chicken, some rice, some stringbeans, and the requisite piece of cake-at-the-church-dinner ( I skipped the bread & butter though!!) If I had gone to the Chinese restaurant with my friend, I could have had a piece of that apple pie thing (what is that anyway, a turnover?) and then I wouldn’t have started this cake obsession.

Piece #2:

I’d finished my meal and my husband was working with some people at church. So he’s working and I’m looking for something to do. Aha … I spotted a friend across the room!  Well, her husband had gone to their truck, and she was sitting with her children and her mother. I was talking to her about cakes since she works with her mother’s small cake business. I learned that her Mom, is known throughout the church for her cakes. Well, they happened to have a sample on the table of one of her Mom’s coconut cakes and they offered it to me! Did I say no? Of course not! I didn’t even think that I liked coconut cake, but it was delicious!! Piece #2. Again, if I had gone to the Chinese restaurant with my other friend, apple thingy would have had a chance.

Piece #3:

After communion, we rushed out the door to get to a wedding. Now our communion service ended around 8 something (pm) … the wedding started at 6 p.m. We rushed and got to the reception around 9. The photographer saw us coming in the door and gave us a funny look and said “Well, I’ve taken pictures of everybody else, but ya’ll are kinda late, I guess I’ll take your picture too.” The bride & groom knew that we were going to be late, so I didn’t worry about it. Well, it turns out that they hadn’t served dinner yet, just the appetizers. So we were in time to eat again! My husband had jerk chicken, rice, and stringbeans, and I had salmon. Then came the cake!!! I love wedding cake! Almost as much as I like carrot cake! Went to my first wedding when I was about 7 and have been hooked since! This wedding had two types … layered torte …. chocolate black forest type, and a yellow custard. My husband had the chocolate (I tasted his, it was sooo good) and I had the yellow. The custard in the layers (6!) was laced with something … rum I think, but it was rich so I ate the cake around the 6 custard filling layers and ate all of the icing (which was just too good!) There was extra cake on the table, but thankfully my husband stopped me before I went further.

So this morning, I went for a walk at the track, and then I remembered those pieces of cake and did some bleacher steps … then I thought that I was done and remembered piece number three and did another lap plus some more bleacher steps. Today I had an apple, a smoothie (apple, pineapple, blueberries, H20 in the blender), an oatmeal nut cookie, and will have chicken and salad for dinner. Tomorrow I’m on my way north. I’ll have lunch with one of my childhood friends at a place that doesn’t have cake, BUT … then in the evening, I’ll go to nieces’  birthday party and you know what that means …… CCCCCAAAAAKKKKKEEEEEE!

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End of the 2007 re-posted entry. We’ll see what happens with cake this 2010 May Memorial Day weekend … afterall it’s a holiday, and family is slated to be in the picture big-time, so I suspect that cake will make several appearances too.

My Newest Website: DietWithoutDeprivation.com

This homemade meal of spicy baked chicken and veggies was prepared one Sunday afternoon while my husband was shoveling snow during the great snow storms of January 2010. I'm a great fan of using carrots, celery, and onions with chicken -- the "Mirepoix" ... I learned this term while watching Emeril on TV a few years ago. I made biscuits too, but they didn't make the photo.

I went to The Spirit Realm Project’s “Zero to Website in 3 Hours” on Saturday morning to support and help the team with their first technology workshop, and decided to set up a website as part of the seminar. The Spirit Realm Project (SRP) is a Non-Profit in partnership with The Mount Pleasant Community Development Center; my husband leads the team of wonderfully talented, enthusiastic techie and artistic volunteers.  I wanted to create something that I would use … as a reference for myself, so I thought about things that I love and my goals in life. I love food! Point blank.  One of my goals is to remain healthy. So I wanted to combine these topics.  But I am not a fan of diets, and I don’t like exercise even though I taught aerobics for a short while during grad school and experienced being the “go-to” girl a couple of times in step class in the 90′s (that’s when the instructor tells you to put your step in the front so that people can watch you for the moves when she goes around to help others with their form and steps.) Being the “go-to” girl was “the thing” then … I really felt like I’d accomplished something. Back then, I even considered auditioning for a video that one of my step instructors was putting out. We were in the Chicago area, so step videos coming out of big cities was hot then. I haven’t been in a gym in ages.  Fast forward to 2009-2010. More recently,  I’ve gotten away with trying to keep in shape by mall-walking with friends, keeping busy at work, and walking for miles on the beach during the times when I’m living and working in Puerto Rico.

But now? Today? Like, right now?  Hmmm. Exercise? Well,  I’m just getting back to walking again, so I’m taking things slowly and the doctors say that I should be able to be fully back to normal by July, so I may consider something more rigorous than mall-walking for exercise.  I need some motivation … and I’m open to suggestions. In the meanwhile, I’m concentrating on food and how to stay healthy without feeling miserable. So, based on my participation in Saturday’s “Zero to Website” seminar,  here is my new website: http://www.dietwithoutdeprivation.com.  This website is short and sweet, simple with limited information and is used to help me with my quest to stay healthy. I’ll update as I find more information to add. Enjoy, and let me know (via comment here, Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.)  if you recommend information to add.

Artscapes and Shapes: My latest drawing

I draw/paint/color to relax, but I rarely take the time to do it. The fact that this is the second “full” drawing in a 30 day span says something about my usual schedule. Prior to this medical leave, I hadn’t painted since 2001. This one was fun.  Maybe because I did it just for me and I had fun creating it. Maybe because my Mom saw me drawing it and acted like it was a Masterpiece. But then my Mom is a mother who put all of our “art” on the refrigerator door with magnets.  She said that I should frame it, and maybe I will. Not because it’s Picaso-esque like my Aunt thinks it is (and she hasn’t even seen it, she just heard it described by my Mom!), but because it was soothing to create.

A colleague suggested that I frame the last drawing and put it in my office to remind me to take some time out.  This one took days and was created in a special place, so it will remind me that among the chaos, there is an opportunity to find peace and order if you take your time and be deliberate.

Forget miles. How many songs did I hear on my ipod? That’s my measure.

Now that I’m starting to walk more, I’m ready to exercise (in a “kind of/sort of” way). But tracking miles is tedious disheartening when you’re walking slowly. So I’m resorting to a more pleasurable way to measure my exercise time. I’ll see how many songs I can get through on my ipod. When I was in PR in January, I could go through approximately 26 songs without feeling tired. My latest mark: 4 songs! Yes! I consider that a milestone, plus it was fun and I enjoyed the music.  I’m working my way back! Now playing? Marcela Gandara’s “El Mismo Cielo.”

Diet without Deprivation. Thinking about a diet? Don’t put your ice cream in a bowl, use a saucer.

Häagen-Dazs Raspberry and Mango Sorbet, with Granola bars ... on a saucer.

Sometimes we just get the taste for something sweet. And as the days get warmer, ice cream is often the sweetness of choice. But we don’t want to overindulge. And we don’t want to be deprived of our desire for the delicious.  So my new suggestion is: Have your ice cream … yes, have it!  On a plate. A small plate. Ok, a saucer. You’ll eat less and still be able to enjoy having a sweet treat!

Peaceful Places: Longwood Gardens plus Faunbrook Bed and Breakfast

The East Conservatory Complex at Longwood (Property of Longwoodgardens.org)

Lately I’ve been thinking about some of the places that I’ve enjoyed visiting. Longwood Gardens (in PA, 13 miles from Wilmington, DE, 30 miles from Philly) is one of those places.  I was at a conference for the Northeastern Association of Grad Schools sponsored by the University of Delaware and the banquet was held at Longwood.  These gardens were stunningly spectacular. So much so that I’m longing to go again just to see the beauty of the flowers.

Breakfast Table at Faunbrook (Property of Faunbrook.com)

As I’m contemplating my trip, I found that Longwood is near another peaceful place … a Bed and Breakfast Mansion called Faunbrook. I stayed at Faunbrook twice and even took my mother there when I was invited to give some workshops at nearby Westchester University.  Faunbrook  was my first Bed and Breakfast experience.  I’m used to big hotels, but this mansion with just a few rooms made working away from home feel fun and relaxing! It was different to come down to breakfast with a group of strangers around a large banquet table (like those in the movies) and enjoy breakfast conversation over fresh squeezed juice, eggs, and homemade streusel coffee cake (absolutely delicious). In addition, the innkeeper was very friendly and took time to give me a full tour and discuss the business.  I’d like to have a Bed and Breakfast of my own one day. It’s one of my little (big) dreams.  I love large houses and large spaces that can entertain and provide relaxation. I appreciated my times at Faunbrook.

Saying “No” to treadmills, “Yes” to the great outdoors

After a walk in the woods at Rocky Gap, 2009

My doctor gave me permission to do “light” treadmill. But I don’t want to be on a treadmill; I want to be outdoors, in the sunshine!I don’t know why I have an aversion to gym equipment. Some people love it. The treadmill, the elliptical machine, the recumbent bike. Not me.

I used to do step aerobics and play racquetball years ago, and might try zumba in the future, but these days I want to walk on the beach, stroll briskly by a lake, discover a new neighborhood on foot, or go on a hike.

Perhaps it’s the calm in the air or the appreciation for things that were not made by humans. Or maybe it’s just God’s way of telling me that I need more oxygen and Vitamin D.

I drew and colored a flower, and then I was relaxed.

Everyone lovingly tells me to relax. My husband’s aunt even sent me all kinds of art supplies. So I decided to try it. I’m not an artist. I just draw some shapes to see what happens. Well here’s a picture of what happened on May 5. My flower. It’s not a masterpiece, but I was relaxed while creating it, so it has served its purpose.

Diet without Deprivation. Only go for the cookies when there are 2-3 in the bag after you’ve given the rest away.

I tried this. I really wanted those ginger snaps. And I held out … until the bag, left out of the box by my husband, was just staring at me. So I went for it, and gratefully, there were only 2 whole cookies left, the rest were crumbs! Voila! A solution to my cookie craving. I can eat a small serving of cookies at the end of the lifespan of the box/bag. By then, there may only be 2 or 3 left which is probably the serving size anyway. Depending on the cookie, that could be a whopping 160 calories packed in 3 little cookies. Hmmm … are 3 cookies worth an extra 20 minutes of walking — when I do get back to walking for exercise? Maybe. We’ll see.

Taking a break from Facebook, Twitter, and email to draw and color.

My husband’s aunt offered to send me crocheting or knitting materials, or a sketch pad so that I wouldn’t get bored. I opted for the sketch pad since I’ve already crocheted 1/2 of a blanket that can fit 3-4 people (it’s ridiculously huge!) and I can’t remember how start the chain for the knit/pearl combo even though I have the coolest pink knitting needles. Aunt C sent two sketch pads, charcoals, and other cool art materials. Then my husband bought the 84 color gel pen set from Costco (or BJ’s). So I’m off to be creative!

Yesterday I walked down 3 steps … by myself!

I was thrilled! My husband kept his eye on me, but I held onto the railing and stepped down and went down those three steps! It was a wonderful feeling! I haven’t been down steps on my own since the day of my surgery, April 1. In fact, yesterday was a milestone.   I went down steps, I could pick something up off of the floor, and I could get out of a chair on my own. I even went outside … by myself … and went for a short walk. Now granted, I was extremely tired this morning, but I am thankful to be healing.  I am thankful for the prayers! From my childhood church family in Plainfield, NJ (Calvary Baptist), to my grandparent’s legacy congregation in Philly(90th Street Mount Hermon Baptist), to my own church in Baltimore (Mount Pleasant Church & Ministries), I’m thankful for the *many, many* group and individual prayers from family and friends alike. I’m also thankful for the thoughts, concerns, and prayers of colleagues, students, friends from elementary school through grad school, and acquaintances.  God answers. I’m walking!

If I’d started when I was younger, I’d totally do Parkour

I used to be the best tree climber in my neighborhood, arguably better than all of the boys. I’d climb the highest and then jump from unreasonable heights just to do it all over again.  While in balconies, there are times when I still map out a trek for jumping from the ledge, hanging onto the chandelier, swinging over to the wall, and then tap off of the windowsill to the floor. Parkour is a unique art that started in France and includes running, climbing,  and jumping.  Although it has a major influence in Europe, there is a vibrant American community. I’m intrigued!

Below you’ll see a video demonstration from Parkour Generations. I’ve looked at the First Step video on Parkour US and I see that it’s not limited to men since women also practice the art.  So who knows … it may not be too late for me.  In the meantime, if you read my post from yesterday about my current walking style while I’m healing (combination of Fred Sanford and Captain Kirk in slow motion), you know that I’ll need a big blue avatar to get started with Parkour in the short-term.

Walk – Like a combo of Fred Sanford and Captain Kirk in Slow Motion

Yes. That was the description of my walk. (From someone who loves me.) I laughed, even though laughing still hurts, but I thought that I was doing a good job with walking. I can’t see myself, I’m just happy to be mobile again. I wrote in a FB comment that my walk was figuratively “clocked” at 0.5 miles per hour.  And the running joke is that I walk like Fred Sanford (A loving family member hums the theme song as I move about) and sometimes I get the Captain Kirk references — consider the speech pattern put to movement in slow motion.  Sigh …

I keep a little notebook and write about how I’m feeling and I wrote this about a week ago:

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“Appreciating what you have when you have it.”

We don’t always appreciate what we have until it’s gone.  It sounds cliche’ and you hear it all of the time in sermons, maybe even in the media, but it’s true. You think about pain when it exists. But recently, I’m remembering to thank God during times when the pain isn’t there.

Strongly dislike Facebook’s new forced settings (Info, Profile)

This afternoon I logged into Facebook and was asked to check some boxes about information that I wanted to share — interests, books, movies. Most of these were taken from my original information page and put into categories. I unchecked most of the boxes, figuring that they would categorize those topics that I’d specified but that my information page would remain in tact. Not so! My information page was completely changed, none of my original information was there (i.e., books, interests, general thoughts), and apparently it can’t be retrieved. I’ve been doing things online for most of my life, but this is unsettling. I may put lots of information online, but I expect it to be there when I take the time to post it, and I expect to maintain some level of control.  This new change leaves me frustrated. I’d taken time to update my information page, set up my groups, and enter other data and to see it all gone is disheartening to say the least. So for now, I’m not updating anything else on Facebook.  It seems that I can’t re-create what I had, and it will take time that I don’t want to spend to update it properly.

Love, Pride, and the Futility of Cowardly Atonement

I saw a movie recently – “Atonement.”   From a literary standpoint, one might say that it was a great story. It had the protagonist heroine and hero who were hopelessly in love, the antagonist who was repentant, but only to herself – not repentant enough to do anything about the wrong that she had caused, except in a seemingly superficial way.

So here is the story in a nutshell (Spoiler Alert if you haven’t seen the movie and want to — media companion here:  Atonement with James McAoy and Keira Knightly, 2007, Universal Studios.)

Setting – England, 1935.

A young girl, Briony (age 13), witnesses her crush (Robbie, recent college grad age) in a (very) passionate embrace with her older sister (Cecilia, recent college grad age). She (Briony) is livid! In anger, she accuses young Robbie of being the perpetrator the molestation of her young cousin (Lola, approx 13 yrs old).  Robbie goes to jail and later to the army to continue “serving penance.” Cecilia “divorces” her family for pressing charges against Robbie and for not believing his side of the story after how wonderful he had been to their family.  So what if their family was rich and Robbie was just the housekeeper’s son? Plus, Cecilia reminds everyone, little sister Briony is always writing stories and plays and has such a “fanciful imagination.”  In defiance to her family, Cecilia becomes a nurse for the war.  Cut to later in the story … Robbie dies in 1940. Cecilia dies in 1940.

Family Reunion – Summer Holiday

In my family, FamilyReunion is one word. It is a summer holiday unto itself. We have a weekend filled with parents, aunts/uncles, brothers/sisters, and tons and tons of cousins! We also have regional committees. I have so many memories. Here are a few, will you join in?

* Philly cousins and Virginia cousins dancing a joint routine at the Saturday banquet.

* Aunt Ruth dancing during our music through the decades segment even though dementia had set in.

* Men vs Boys basketball – starring Uncle Wali and Uncle Bob.

* Cousin Anise and family history moments

* Barbara singing on Sunday morning

* Taking all of the kids to see Meteor Man at the old theater in Staunton, VA

* Holiday Inn (the old kind with the outside doors, like a motel) and Hardee’s in Staunton

* Those little golf carts in GA

* The “after-reunion” Philly cookout the next Saturday at Aunt Joyce’s and running across the street to Aunt Lennie’s to get extra food (deviled eggs) from her kitchen

* Aunts maintaining such beauty and uncles who are still as cool as ever

Prayer. Life! Death? Life! Prayer.

Thank you for your prayers! Sometimes we say “I’ll pray for you” and when you’re sick or scared, it really brings comfort to know that people are praying for you even when you’re too tired or weak or so caught up in the basic details of what is about to happen to pray for yourself.

It’s scary to be asked about your living will and advanced directive — what will they do if you don’t wake up? Will you donate your organs? Who will speak for you?You fill out the form, you sign the papers, you have it notarized by witnesses, they scan it into the hospital’s computer. That part is done.

It’s scary being on a gurney, laying flat on your back, being pushed by doctors and nurses covered head to toe in blue scrubs and masks, and passing a body … covered by a sheet in the corridor.

And you hear in church every Sunday “If something were to happen today and if you were to die, would you go to be with the Lord?” And by routine, you always say “yes” every week. But this time, right before the anesthesia mask comes on, you repeat Romans 10:9, and you say it in the King James Version, because that’s how you learned it [That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.] And you say in your own voice, silently, since you’re about to be put to sleep “God, I really do believe in you, and I really do believe that Jesus died for my sins and wrongs, and I really do believe this with all of my heart. I really do.”

So you’re at peace.

But wait — you wake up!! What?? It’s over?? I’m still here??? I guess God wanted me to spend some more time on earth. I want to use it wisely. Thank you for praying for me.

Related posts from this blog: The Secret , Academic Church

A mother’s love backs up the truck

My Mom … she is a sweetheart.  She knew that I would need a few things from the store, and she crossed three state lines and brought me food. Not just *some* groceries … she “literally” *backed up the truck* and unloaded bags (and bags, and bags, and boxes, and baskets, and more bags) of snacks, along with cooked food like chicken, mac & cheese, greens, salad, fruit, beverages, and lots of other household goods. This is just a snapshot of “some” of the food … she even bought me organic granola bars! Awww … it’s sweet when my Mom goes into Mommy mode even though I’m an adult. And anyone who knows my Mom knows that she has boundless energy … I bet that you can imagine this scene.  Bless her heart — so full of love.   I love and appreciate my Mom.

Going on leave until June 1; intermittent online activity

I will be on leave for a while.  My last day at work was on March 12 and I will return on June 1. Thank you for the well wishes and cards and especially the prayers!!!!  I may update twitter or Facebook  from time to time, but I expect that it will be intermittent.

All activities for  PROMISE and the UMBC Graduate Student Development unit will handled by our other team members with help from temporary GAs.  I will miss some proposal and doctoral defenses, oral and poster presentations, exam results, graduations, and many of this season’s celebrations, but I extend my congratulations to all of you!!!! I’m very proud of you and your accomplishments!   Please keep me in the loop and let me know how things are going.  You’re welcome to leave messages here, on this wordpress blog, since I expect to be able to access this from my phone.  Thank you again for caring so much!

Thank you for the wonderful birthday messages, songs, prayers, & thoughts!

Tuesday was my birthday and it was WONDERFUL! I really enjoyed my day. I was at work, but was so blessed to receive flowers from current students (thanks BDs!!!!), flowers from a former student (Thanks Shawnisha!) — they’re in my office!, songs (thanks Mom – who lovingly and joyfully sings “Happy Birthday” in medleys and many melodies throughout the month, Dad T, Aunt Clarice, Aunt Barbara), shout-outs, songs, and messages in English & Spanish from my family in VA (love you Woodbridge G’s!), texts and messages of love from my NJ fam (Thanks E’wood fam!), cards from colleagues, e-cards with songs, many well-wishes on Facebook, calls, texts, hugs, and all-around well-wishes. It was a GREAT day! Thank you for the love!!! And yes, D treated me to a delicious birthday dinner — candles, roses — very nice!  There was even a lady at the restaurant who asked if it was my birthday and on-the-spot sang a jazz rendition of “Happy Birthday” … it was great! You know that I love taking photos of different foods. So here are some pictures of cajun-fried oysters, full crab cake, buffalo shrimp & 3-cheese grits, salad, and chocolate cake.  It was great and thank you ALL for whatever part you played in making it such a fantastic day! Kisses and hugs!

Winter Retreat w/our grad students, postdocs, and alums

Each year, through PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP, we take a group of 100 from UMBC, UM College Park, and UM Baltimore on a winter community building retreat. This year, we also had alums and postdocs from NIH, the UM College of Medicine, and other universities and agencies. The annual experience is often one that provides the students with renewal, motivation, and encouragement for students to finish grad school. There are numerous comments and photos on the PROMISE blog; feel free to read about and see some of the experiences.  We’re still inspired by the life/work balancing activities of  “Dancing with the moon” and working  in the Dissertation House.

http://promisecommunitybuilding.blogspot.com/

About PROMISE: http://www.umbc.edu/promise/