Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network

Student Professional Development Workshop for Stem Faculty

at Grantee Institutions in the National Science FoundationÕs

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP)

Embassy Suites Hotel s 315 Julia Street s New Orleans, LA

JUNE 6-7, 2008

Purpose

This workshop will focus on information, resources, and strategies to assist faculty in supporting the professional development of undergraduate students majoring in STEM disciplines at NSF/HBCU-UP grantee institutions.

Note: Participants supported by QEM and residing in the Embassy Suites are expected to take advantage of the complimentary Full Breakfast available each morning.

 

AGENDA

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 6

AM

  7:30               Registration                                                                               Bayou Jean Lafitte Foyer

 

  8:00               Opening Plenary:                                                               Bayou Jean Lafitte Salons 3-4

Welcome, Purpose, and Introductions

                        Shirley McBay, President, QEM Network

 

  8:15               Preparing Students to Meet TomorrowÕs Challenges in Education

                        Sally OÕConnor, Program Director

                        Cross-Disciplinary Research at Undergraduate Institutions

                        Division of Biological Infrastructure, Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)

                        National Science Foundation (NSF)

 

  8:45               Session I:  Panel Discussion – Employee/Graduate Student Profile:

                                                                          What are the Expectations?

                        Moderator:     Shirley McBay, QEM Network

Panelists:        Joseph Burt, Division Director

                        Division of Human Resource Management

                                                Office of Information and Resource Management, NSF

 

                        Larry Dalton, Chair, Department of Chemistry,

                        Professor of Chemistry and Electrical Engineering, and

            Director, NSF/Science and Technology Center (STC) on

Materials and Devices for Information Technology Research

                                                University of Washington

 

                                                Caesar Jackson, Program Director

                                                HBCU-UP Program

                                                Division of Human Resource Development

                                                Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), NSF

 

   9:30               Questions and Comments from Audience

  9:45               Session II:       Panel Discussion – Effective Mentoring Strategies for

                                            STEM Employment/Graduate School

            Moderator:     Althea Burns, Associate, QEM Network

                        Panelists:        Casonya Johnson, Associate Professor

                                                Department of Biology

                                                Georgia State University

 

                                                Alvin Kennedy, Professor and Chair

                                                Department of Chemistry

                                                Morgan State University

 

                                                Joe Omojola, Professor of Mathematics and Physics

                                                Department of Natural Sciences

                                                Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO)

 

10:30               Questions and Comments from Audience

                 

10:45               Coffee Break

 

11:00               Four Concurrent Discussion Groups

 

                        Topic:  Preparing STEM Students on HBCU Campuses to Meet

                                    Employer/Graduate School Expectations

 

                        Group I:          Biology and Life Sciences                                  Bayou Jean Lafitte Salons 3-4

                        Facilitator:      Casonya Johnson, Georgia State University

                                   

                        Group II:         Chemistry                                                           Bayou Jean Lafitte Salons 3-4

                        Facilitator:      Alvin Kennedy, Morgan State University

                                                                                         

                        Group III:        Engineering and Physics                     Andrew Jackson Board Room, 5th  Floor

                        Facilitator:      Abdalla Darwish, Dillard University

                 

                        Groups IV A & B:      Mathematics and Computer Science

                        Facilitator (Group IV-A):       Joe Omojola, SUNO                           Diamond A, First Floor

                        Facilitators (Group IV-B):     Professors Hong Dai and                    Diamond B, First Floor

                                                                        Peter Frempong

                        Department of Mathematics

                        Dillard University

 

11:45               Reports from Concurrent Discussion Groups

 

PM

12:15               Lunch                                                                                                      Atrium, Lobby Level

 

  1:15               Session III:  Modeling and Fostering Professional Conduct

                                                                                                                          Bayou Jean Lafitte Salons 3-4

 

                        Moderator:     Florence Etop, Assistant Professor

Department of Physics, Virginia State University

 

                        Being Part of A Research Team

-       Identifying STEM-focused Research Opportunities for Students

-       Conducting Literature Searches

-       Reading Scholarly Articles

                        Presenter:  Casonya Johnson, Georgia State University

 

                        Professional Ethics and Decorum

-       Ethical Conduct and Standards

-       Professional Behavior:  Basics all Students Should Know

-       Professional Team-Building Exercises

 

                        Presenter:  Henry Bart, Project Director

                                          The Graduate Alliance for Education in Louisiana (GAELA) and

                                          Associate Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

                                          Tulane University

 

  2:15               Questions and Comments from Audience

 

  2:30               Session IV: Panel Discussion – What HBCUs Can Do to Support the Professional

                                                                            Development of STEM Students

                        Moderator: Shirley McBay, QEM Network

                        Student Panelists (Summer 2008 QEM Interns):             Joint Presentation

                                    Leatha Davis, Junior, Clinical Laboratory Science Major, Howard University

                                    Roderita Mitchell, Junior, Biology Major, Albany State University

                                    Aleisha Smith, Sophomore, Chemistry Major, Kentucky State University

 

  3:30               Coffee Break

 

  3:45               Session V: Building Effective Oral and Written Communication Skills

                        Moderator:  J. Arthur Jones, Senior Associate, QEM Network

                        STEM Career Preparation

-     Preparing a ResumŽ for a STEM-Related Position/Internship

-       Writing an Abstract

-       Securing Letters of Recommendation

                        Presenter:  Alvin Kennedy, Morgan State University

 

                        Oral Research Presentations

-       Effective Briefing Techniques

-       Use of PowerPoint and Other Tools

-       Fielding Questions

                        Presenter:  Abdalla Darwish, Ruth Simmons Distinguished University Professor

                                                and Chair, Department of Physics and Pre-Engineering

                                          Dillard University

 

   4:45              Questions and Comments from Audience

 

   5:00              Institutional Team Discussions

                        Focus: Initial Planning of Campus-based Activity for STEM Faculty

 

   6:00              Dinner on Your Own

SATURDAY, JUNE 7

AM

  8:30               Plenary:  Special Preparation for STEM Professional Careers in Academia

                                                                                                                        Bayou Jean Lafitte Salons 3-4

                                   

                        Introduction of Speaker:  Althea Burns, QEM Network

                        Speaker:          Antoine Garibaldi, President, Gannon University

 

  9:15               Session VI:     STEM Pathways to Graduate School and Beyond

                        Moderator:     J. Arthur Jones, QEM Network

 

                        Test Preparation, Portfolios, and the Personal Essay

                        Alvin Kennedy, Morgan State University

 

                        Fellowships, Teaching Assistantships, and Other Financial Aid

                        William McHenry, Executive Director

                        Mississippi e-Center, Jackson State University

 

                        Advising and Other Forms of Support

                        Casonya Johnson, Georgia State University

 

10:00               Questions and Comments from Audience

 

10:15               Coffee Break

 

 10:30              Plenary:  Funding Sources to Support Student Development

-       On- and Off-Campus Internship/Research Opportunities

-       International Opportunities      Additional NSF ISE Opportunities

                        Sally OÕConnor, National Science Foundation

 

11:15               Institutional Team Discussions

                        Focus: Final Planning of Campus-based Activity for STEM Faculty

 

NOON/PM

12:00               Lunch                                                                                                    Atrium, Lobby Level

 

  1:00               Closing Plenary: Finalizing Your Agenda – Taking it Back to Campus

                                                                                                                        Bayou Jean Lafitte Salons 3-4

Moderator:     Shirley McBay, QEM Network

                        Faculty Teams Present Final Campus-based Activity Plans

 

  3:00               Next Steps and Closing Remarks

 

  3:30               Adjournment