It has been an honor to represent the US as a finalist for the GEDC Airbus Diversity Award. I extend hearty congratulations to my new friend and colleague Dr. Fadi Aloul from the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, winner of the award! I also […]
I love working at UMBC where issues of race and diversity are discussed, and where conversations and concerns lead to actions. This morning, UMBC sent a letter to the campus community with an associated document that outlines ongoing initiatives and upcoming strategies related to faculty diversity. (Full disclosure. […]
During the Southern Regional Education Board’s (SREB) 2015 Institute For Teaching and Mentoring/Compact for Faculty Diversity, Dr. Christine Grant and I presented a session entitled, Mentoring Graduate Students of Color, to full room of faculty and administrators. It was an interactive session where good information was shared, and we also […]
“What do you do if you’re too nervous?” This question was asked on Saturday in response to my charge to build relationships with professors during the GEM GRAD Lab at Stony Brook University in Long Island, NY. I hear this question often, and regularly work with students so […]
It is a profound honor to have been selected as one of three finalists for the Global Engineering Deans Council & Airbus Diversity Award. I have the pleasure of being among two other major contributors to diversity in engineering, Martin Baumann from Germany, and Fadi Aloul from the […]
One of the issues that we’re tackling within the ivory tower is the need for faculty diversity. Some programs are beginning to make strides with undergraduate college completion among people from underrepresented groups, and we continue to work on broadening participation of graduate students and postdoctoral trainees in […]
Today’s talk in Chicago for the GEM GRAD Lab dealt strongly with connecting to research on a humanitarian level. Many students said that they don’t see themselves as researchers, so they consider opting out of STEM and choosing other fields. My discussion was based upon recognizing that we […]
Over the past few months, I’ve been quoting diversity statistics for engineering as reported by the National Science Foundation. Several listeners in the audiences of my talks – faculty, administrators, and students alike – are aghast when they hear the statistics. As many colleagues are now looking more […]
It is a pleasure to be in Iowa today to share about graduate school access, inclusion, and applications. Here are some of the tips that were shared as part of the GEM GRAD Lab. I would really like to bring home the point about developing relationships with faculty. […]
Presenting at the World Engineering Education Forum in Florence, Italy brought out several issues regarding engineering perspectives on diversity and social justice. Our discussions on gender diversity in engineering featured women in the academy with ties to Australia, Switzerland, Italy, South Korea, Latin America, and the U.S. The […]
Originally posted on UMBC Insights Weekly:
Renetta Tull, associate vice provost for graduate student development and postdoctoral affairs, is one of ten impressive candidates shortlisted for this year’s GEDC Airbus Diversity Award. The GEDC Airbus Diversity Award honors people and projects worldwide that “have encouraged students of all profiles and…
This week, I have the honor of joining my colleagues to co-lead two sessions on diversity in engineering at the 2015 World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF), share in the presentation of a co-authored paper on global diversity in engineering, and chair a session on cultural diversity. Given the […]
Thank you to the many students, peers, colleagues and supporters for the work that you have allowed me to do! It is an honor to have been officially named as one of the 10 global candidates on the shortlist for the 2015 Global Engineering Deans Council Airbus Diversity […]
Being in the Dominican Republic and learning first-hand about issues in the island of Hispanola: Haiti + República Dominicana , all while keeping up with the aftermath of Sandra Bland’s death, the murder of Sam DuBose (Cincinnati), and the booing of Adam Goodes in Australia, makes me 1) Sad […]
It’s not everyday that a poet includes you in a book dedication. So when Dr. Robert Deluty, a beloved colleague from UMBC, included me in the dedication for his latest book, A Mingled Yarn, I not only read the book, I devoured it! I’ve always loved poems and […]
It is my pleasure to be one of the many mentors for Kavita Krishnaswamy, a graduate student in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at UMBC. Kavita’s doctoral advisor is Dr. Tim Oates. (Other stories about Kavita can be found on the CSEE website, here: http://www.csee.umbc.edu/?s=kavita). Kavita has participated […]
Today, I am in Colorado, where I worked with my colleagues from UMBC and PR to present the “Think Big” discussion on engaging diverse women in STEM in international research efforts, as part of the 2015 WEPAN (Women in Engineering ProActive Network) conference. Parts of the conversation are […]
As a former professor and current administrator, the day after graduation always leaves me feeling the same way – a combination of: excited, reflective, exhausted, pensive, and hopeful. I am excited for all of my students because so many of you have reached your goals. I recruited some […]
“Unfortunately,” “Sorry,” “Not at this time.” This time of year can be tough for those who are getting the thin letters or the short emails that say that they haven’t been accepted to their programs of choice, that they didn’t get the job, or that they didn’t receive […]
Originally posted on PROMISE: Maryland's AGEP:
Our PROMISE family includes alumni who are now professors who have insight and wisdom to share regarding the unrest that we are seeing in Baltimore. We connected with three of them this morning. They are former PROMISE Peer Mentors, and once they…
Earlier in the week, I wrote a post for PROMISE AGEP (“PROMISE Alumni Professors Give Voice to #BaltimoreUprising”), and yesterday, we celebrated graduates who are completing advanced degrees in Maryland. These events remind me that the work doesn’t stop, and that there is more to do to make […]
I have been presented with a unique opportunity to discuss women in tech, and provide information on diversity in STEM. This is a global webcast. Join us! Thursday, April 16, 10 AM PT, San Francisco; 1pm – New York | 6pm – London | 10:30pm – Mumbai | […]
It’s humbling to remember that first day on the job at UMBC. I was excited, and ready to start a new program. They gave me an empty office, and a copy of the NSF proposal for an award known as the Maryland AGEP. That was it. We’ve come […]
It was a pleasure to talk with students at the National GEM Consortium’s GRAD Lab as part of the Graduate School Conference for the 41st Annual Convention for the National Society of Black Engineers. My talk on “Applying to Graduate School” is one of the four modules for the GEM GRAD Lab’s […]
Abstract: “The Jessica Effect” is a conceptual method of student engagement that is being used to mentor underrepresented graduate students at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland), and within the University System of Maryland as part of the National Science Foundation’s project, […]
The #MomentsToMentor series is the response to my students’ requests for me to answer some questions that were not addressed during workshops for graduate students. Generally, when seminars end, students stay and ask the speakers additional questions. When the speakers leave, the students ask me other things that are on […]
It is my honor to be among the “Cover Girls” for O’Reilly Media’s 2015 “Women in Data” publication! Here is the description for the book (electronic) that was released today: The gender gap in tech is shrinking. Women are still an underrepresented minority in the disciplines of science, […]
My name, Renetta, means “reborn” and persistence is a core value that was taught in my household. My parents, fueled by their faith, always taught my brothers and I that there was a divine plan for our lives (based on Old and New Testament teachings), and therefore we […]
Can you share your heart with a college campus? Sure you can. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with administrators, faculty, and staff at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico to learn about their mission, and and their tremendous passion for sharing knowledge! Here are some highlights, and please […]
When I learned how to write my first computer program many years ago, our first task was to write an algorithm that wrote “Hello World.” After traveling to various places around the US, South America, and the Middle East, that term “Hello World” is taking on a new […]
Greetings! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for my safe arrival. Things are going well here in Dubai where I am participating as a chair for the “Women in Engineering, Partnerships & Professional Development” session on Friday 5 Dec. at the World Engineering Education Forum, and co-presenting a […]
This past weekend, I had a delegation of approximately 25 graduate students and postdocs at the 2014 SREB Compact for Faculty Diversity/Institute for Teaching and Mentoring in Atlanta. I had a session on mentoring faculty who will in turn mentor students, with my colleague, Dr. Christine Grant. Sunday’s […]
On September 18, 2014, I had the honor of participating on a panel for The Atlantic LIVE A New America: Empowering Hispanic Millennials for Tech Leadership, Washington, District of Columbia. My comments focused on access to STEM education, particularly at the graduate level. http://www.theatlantic.com/live/events/new-america5/2014/ This 2-hour program had three […]
PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP has posted the introduction to the “When Faculty Say X …” seminar at UMBC. This video was initially designed to introduce a seminar, one that I would typically moderate in person. Students have asked me to answer some of the questions via video. This introductory […]
Although my sessions at mentoring sessions at MIT have been taped for the last few years, the plan to have a mentoring series came as a result of a complicated schedule. When I came to UMBC, I started the “When Faculty Say ‘X’ (They Really Mean ‘Y’)” seminar […]
Originally posted on UMBC Insights Weekly:
Renetta Tull, Associate Vice Provost of Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs, is seeking equity in STEM for all. Tull was recently the lead author on an article for peerReview titled, “The Jessica Effect: Valuing Cultural and Familial Connections to Broaden Success…
Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to have a picture taken with a subset of my awesome team in my (not-so-neat) office and it reminded me of a recent request. I have been asked to present a list of my mentees! This is an exciting prospect and an […]
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a chance to lead an international session on Women in STEM and Diversity (Mujeres en STEM y Diversidad) in Ecuador (Agenda – Broadening the STEM Research Participation of Women-URM-Disabilities), lead an international National Science Foundation delegation, and participate in a national […]
It was an honor and a privilege to lead the United States delegation to Ecuador for the National Science Foundation’s project on international engagement and broadening participation in engineering. Our group participated in the Foro Latinoamericano de Estudiantes sobre Educación en Ingeniería (FLEEI) for engineering students which was held at La […]
Over the last two weeks I’ve given a talk at MIT, had meetings at Harvard, and I’ve given a presentation and participated in a plenary panel at the International Forum of the American Society of Engineering Education conference (ASEE) (My talk was titled “Bringing Women in STEM to […]
It has been a great pleasure to be a Co-PI for the ADVANCE Hispanic Women in STEM project in Puerto Rico. Last week, we had a poster presentation at the National Science Foundation’s annual ADVANCE PI meeting, and then we had the ADVANCE Hispanic Women in STEM Workshop […]
There have been days (and nights) that I’ve been glued to the computer. Getting hundreds of emails a day, and having an overflowing inbox only adds to the issue. I didn’t think that I was addicted, but I’ve been surrounded by my laptop, tablet, and phone and have […]
While I love my line of work and want to get as many people as possible into STEM fields, I have a strong appreciation for the artisans who are masters of their crafts and have passed the skills down throughout the generations. Earlier this week, I had a […]
I’ve recently had opportunities to speak in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, and participate in the 2013 International Gender Summit. I’ve been talking about preparation for STEM Careers, and more recently, I’ve had unique opportunities to discuss life/work balance for women in STEM. Adhering to my own advice about […]
This year, 2013, was a hard one for many, and so many are happy to see it go. However, 2013 was a great year for others. New babies were born, new dreams were realized, new relationships were forged, and new opportunities became available. In my world at the […]
I’ve been enjoying my visit to South America, and I thank my colleagues in the Latin and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI) for designating me to be the lead for their Women in STEM initiative, which will cover Central and South America. It is a great honor! […]
This weekend, I enjoyed participating in two events: 1) “Primer foro sobre publicaciones academicas de la Universidad Metropolitana” with faculty (I served on the panel, and listened to outcomes from a PROMISE workshop that we gave in PR in May. and 2) Research Symposium for Students, sponsored by […]
Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of co-organizing and co-leading the “Women in STEM” forum for the Latin and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI) in Mexico. This forum was the part of a continuing conversation between LACCEI and the Organization of American States. My […]
This week, I had a chance to join colleagues Dr. Melanie Harrison (NOAA in California), Sara Xayarath Hernandez (Director of Diversity Programs for the College of Engineering at Cornell University, and winner of a US Presidential Award for Mentoring), and Dr. Ashanti Johnson (Executive Director for the Institute […]
It was my pleasure to give the opening remarks for the “Sharing STEM” session at the Women in Public Service Project (WPSP) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Thank you to all of the speakers, and to our session co-chairs from UMass Lowell and San Francisco State University. […]
A few years ago, I wrote a post about the joy of having mentees who can surpass you. The joy continues! On Tuesday, I had a chance to meet with a mentee, Dr. Frances Carter-Johnson at MIT. We’d started a meeting in Virginia at the Society of STEM Women […]
I am honored to be a speaker for the U.S. News STEM Solutions conference in Austin, TX on June 18, 2013. Our panel just had a conference call to prepare for next week, and I’ve learned that we will be the only group talking about holistic support systems […]
When you’re in high school, you’re thinking about fun, friends, fun, preparing for the real world, fun, preparing to get a job one day, and oh, did I say fun? In high school, I was serious about my classes, and I was on the college-prep track, but I […]
Originally posted on PROMISE: Maryland's AGEP:
Dear Participants, Alumni, and Friends of PROMISE, Today, I celebrate 10 years as the Director of PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP. For those of you who remember my first day at UMBC, I started out in an office on the 5th floor of…
It was my great pleasure to meet and work with researchers and students at Purdue University as they launched their “Mentoring at Purdue (MAP)” program, sponsored by the USDA. This program, held at the end of January, was sponsored by the College of Agriculture, and the Principal Investigators, […]
I *was* kind of, sort of on a good eating plan until I went to Bebo’s on Calle Loiza in Condado (San Juan, PR), and then received a whole box of quesitos + pan de agua from Facciola (mi panadería favorita!!) as a wonderful welcome gift. I love […]
Today is the last day of the semester and I am still meeting with students, going over evaluations, and helping them plan for the next stages of their programs. I love what I do, but today served as a reminder for why I do what I do. I […]
Today I am in Alaska where there is a 4 hour time difference between here and the east coast. I was a speaker for the GEM GRADLab at the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s annual conference. It has been cold and dark, but it’s worth it […]
This afternoon I gave a talk on social media at the Sloan Director’s meeting as part of the 2102 SREB Compact for Faculty Diversity/Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in Tampa, Florida. Earlier this week, I also discussed social media with administrators at Cornell. Both talks reminded me that […]
We’ve just concluded the first ADVANCE Hispanic Women in STEM Networking Conference in Puerto Rico, which brought together women faculty in science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines from across the island. It was a wonderful experience! I helped to co-found the conference with my colleagues from Universidad Metropolitana […]
Thank you for the outpouring of support regarding our short paper on the “Success Equation.” This information has been presented at the following venues: MIT MSRP Summer Research Dinner, Boston, June 2012 UMBC Summer Success Institute, Baltimore, August 2012 Ana G. Mendez System Research Symposium Dinner, San Juan, […]
Today at LACCEI in Panama, I facilitated part of a session on diversity and partnerships. It was a good session and one that generated passionate discussion about engaging students in professional development activities. I was at the university for most of the day. Tonight at dinner, I was […]
I had a WONDERFUL day! After today’s conference sessions, Miguel and his mom, Sandra, took me to see many sights! We started with lunch at Niko’s cafe where I had arroz (rice), lentejas (lentils), ensalada repollo (cabbage salad — cole slaw), and arroz con leche (a rice-based pudding) […]
Yesterday I arrived in Panamá, and this afternoon I gave the first of two talks at the 2012 Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI – Consorcio Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Escuelas de Ingeniería.) This is the home of one of our PROMISE: […]
