The 2010 Scholars Program was held on September 23 and 24 on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This is the first year that the Scholars Program was held, with the goal to promote graduate study among under-represented minorities and women in the STEM fields, and a special focus on doctoral-granting and research intensive institutions.
This program brought together students and faculty from Prairie View A&M University, Tennessee State University, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Southern University and A&M College, and A.O Maki & Associates, L.L.C.
Session Topics:
Choosing a Graduate Program
The nuances of choosing a graduate program in the context of the student’s background, financial environment and relative quality of the programs of interest are articulated. How the issues of online versus traditional coursework considerations as well as M.S to Ph.D decision making process affect the ultimate path taken to achieve the student’s graduate school goals is discussed. A synopsis of the process of identifying, evaluating and choosing a program compatible with the needs of the prospective graduate will be examined
Graduate School Student Experience
Graduate school is an opportunity for individuals to expand their knowledge and choices for their future careers. While it is an advanced level of learning compared to undergraduate studies, graduate school can be associated with challenges for which the student needs to be prepared. Students need prior knowledge of how to choose a program of study, meet admission requirements, meet advisor expectations, connect with the right groups, and register for the right classes. All these can be summed up as graduate school experience and challenges.
The challenges can include introspectively questioning if all the investment you put into education is worthwhile, how marketable you will be after graduating, or which career path you will follow after you graduate. Furthermore, your mentality as a student, networking with other students, socialization to new environments, and expectations from your faculty advisor are all part of the experience and challenges for which a graduate student has to be prepared. Discussion will be targeted to different experiences a graduate student should expect from the time he/she is admitted to graduate school to the time of graduation. Students will learn the benefits of graduate school, how to choose and please the advisors, work ethic as a graduate student, teaching and research assistant opportunities and anticipated challenges.
Understanding Funding and Budgeting Finances
This session provides students a working knowledge of the process of receiving funds as a graduate student and or a research assistant. It describes the risks of losing funding due to things such as poor work ethic or the funding agency eliminating funding. We discuss setting up budgeting, savings, and investing strategies that are flexible enough to support the student with funding and if the funding is lost. Also, we discuss strategies for supporting faculty to receive more funding in order to possibly increase your stipend.
Topics include: Graduate Assistant Work Mentality (Work Ethic), Maintaining Funding (MS to PhD), Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, Finding Funding (GEM, Sloan, Ford, ONR, etc), and Critical Faculty Advisory Project Engagement.
“Mentoring Communities” for Academic Success
The role of mentoring in graduate school is a well-documented strategy that provides students with coaching, counseling, and nurturing support that is essential to developing academically, personally, and professionally. Mentoring is a critical aspect of graduate school success and the successful graduate student seeks mentors from a variety of communities: faculty, peers, and other key personnel within and outside the university.
This session is designed to provide mentoring strategies you can use to network with individuals who can guide your success as you contemplate your personal rationale for pursuing graduate school and provide advice and assistance in navigating the application processes for admission and financial aid.
Communications Skills Workshop
The Communication Skills Workshop will address the components of active communication—written and oral. The importance of appropriate writing and speaking in academic and corporate settings will be stressed. In the interactive session, participants will be challenged to improve their communication skills through hands-on and oral activities. Participants will develop and/or critique their personal statements. Emphasis will also be placed on understanding the role of non-verbal communication cues.
Choosing a Faculty Mentor
This session includes information about identifying and selecting a faculty mentor or advisor. The topics covered include getting a good understanding about what to look for in a mentor or advisor. Discussions include getting students’ perspectives of what a faculty mentor is, finding a mentor that matches your needs, benefits of a positive relationship between a faculty mentor and student, and what is expected from a mentor or advisor.
Is there a difference between a faculty mentor and an academic advisor? This session will include discussions on these topics and others to provide some insight into what students may experience during graduate school. The goal of this session is to show that faculty mentors or advisors are essential to the success of graduate students.
Graduate Students’ Specific Skills
As students matriculate through graduate school, it can be challenging to identify the specific skills and professional assets that they have acquired. Most of these skills can be transferable, thus positioning the graduate student to being a greater asset within his/her professional career. This session will expose students to some of the common specific skills graduate students develop while attending graduate school as well as discuss the benefits to using these skills to navigate through career paths internal and external to the academy.
Making the Short List: Applying and Getting Admitted to Graduate Programs
This session will cover the basics of applying to graduate programs, and it will also help you learn how to create a competitive application packet. From GRE scores, personal statements and letters of recommendation, each piece has a purpose and a pitfall. Learn what to do and what not to do. A case study in graduate admissions will help you see the process from the graduate committee point-of-view.
Program Schedule
Conference Rooms:
- Conference Room A: South Central 3rd Floor, Whittier Research Center
- Conference Room B: Business Office Conference Room (2nd Floor East 262B)
- Conference Room C: Transportation Systems Engineering Conference Room (3rd Floor West)
- Conference Room D: Infrastructure Conference Room (3rd Floor East)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
| Time | Agenda Item | Speaker(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast | Conference Room A | |
| 8:00 AM | MATC Introduction and Welcome | Dr. Laurence Rilett | |
| 8:30 AM | Overview of MATC Scholars Program | Dr. Judy Perkins Dr. Erick Jones | |
| 8:45 AM | Overview of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Dr. Raymond Moore | |
| 9:00 AM | Break | ||
| 9:15 AM | Session 1: Group 1 Choosing a Graduate Program | Dr. Ibibia Dabipi | Conference Room B |
| Session 2: Group 2 Communication Skills | Dr. Ella Kelley | Conference Room C | |
| Session 3: Group 3 Graduate School Student Experience | Dr. Deo Chimba | Conference Room D | |
| 10:30 AM | Break | ||
| 10:45 AM | Session 1: Group 3 Choosing a Graduate Degree | Dr. Ibibia Dabipi | Conference Room B |
| Session 2: Group 1 Communication Skills | Dr. Ella Kelley | Conference Room C | |
| Session 3: Group 2 Graduate School Student Experience | Dr. Deo Chimba | Conference Room D | |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch | Billy's Restaurant | |
| 1:30 PM | Opportunities for MATC Partnership (Faculty Only) | Conference Room C | |
| Student Panel: Ph.D. Candidates | Angela Garza Maurice Cavitt | Conference Room A | |
| 2:15 PM | Tour of Whittier Research Building | ||
| 2:45 PM | Break | ||
| 3:00 PM | Session 1: Group 2 Choosing a Graduate Degree | Dr. Ibibia Dabipi | Conference Room B |
| Session 2: Group 3 Communication Skills | Dr. Ella Kelley | Conference Room C | |
| Session 3: Group 1 Graduate School Student Experience | Dr. Deo Chimba | Conference Room D | |
| 4:15 PM | Break | ||
| 4:30 PM | Session 4: Group 1 Choosing Faculty Mentors | Dr. Edgar Blevins | Conference Room B |
| Session 5: Group 2 Understanding Funding and Budgeting Finanaces | Dr. Erick Jones | Conference Room C | |
| Session 6: Group 3 Graduate Student Specific Skills | Dr. Judy Perkins | Conference Room D | |
| 6:00 PM | Return to Hotel | ||
| 7:15 PM | Dinner | Buzzard Billy's | |
Friday, September 24, 2010
| Time | Agenda Item | Speaker(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast | Conference Room A | |
| 8:30 AM | Overview of Transportation Engineering | Dr. Laurence Rilett | |
| 9:00 AM | Break | ||
| 9:15 AM | Session 4: Group 3 Choosing Faculty Mentors | Dr. Edgar Blevins | Conference Room B |
| Session 5: Group 1 Understanding Funding and Budgeting Finances | Dr. Erick Jones | Conference Room C | |
| Session 6: Group 2 Graduate Student Specific Skills | Dr. Judy Perkins | Conference Room D | |
| 10:30 AM | Break | ||
| 10:45 AM | Session 4: Group 2 Choosing Faculty Mentors | Dr. Edgar Blevins | Conference Room B |
| Session 5: Group 3 Understanding Funding and Budgeting Finances | Dr. Erick Jones | Conference Room C | |
| Session 6: Group 1 Graduate Student Specific Skills | Dr. Judy Perkins | Conference Room D | |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch & Keynote Speaker The Importance of Graduate School in Challenging Economic Times | Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy | |
| 1:30 PM | Session 7: Rotation 1 Mentoring Communities | Ms. Amy Maki | Conference Room C |
| Session 8: Rotation 1 Graduate Studies Process 411 | Ms. Renee Rodriguez Batman | Conference Room D | |
| 2:45 PM | Break | ||
| 3:00 PM | Session 7: Rotation 2 Mentoring Communities | Ms. Amy Maki | Conference Room C |
| Session 8: Rotation 2 Graduate Studies Process 411 | Ms. Renee Rodriguez Batman | Conference Room D | |
| 4:15 PM | Break | ||
| 4:30 PM | General Session - Evaluations & Closing Remarks | Dr. Erick Jones Dr. Judy Perkins | Conference Room A |
| 5:00 PM | Adjourn | ||