Preparing for Global Leadership in STEM Fields:Working in an International

SettingNandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez, Ph.D., UMBC

Miguel Nino, M.S., Virginia TechRenetta G. Tull, Ph.D., UMBC

ASEE International Forum, Sat. June 14, 2014Track 2 - Session 1, @Renetta_Tull, #ASEEAnnual

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

GOALS FOR 2014:

* Provide graduate students with more experiences that go beyond a traditional undergraduate student-based study abroad program

* Develop programs that open doors outside of the U.S. to provide graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with groups of experiences that will lead to international job opportunities and long-term research collaborations.

* Involve faculty in the process to create mutually beneficial connections.

UMBC – Mid-sized institution

Student Enrollment

Fall 2013: 13,908•Graduate: 2,772•Undergraduate: 11,136•Full-time: 9,508•Part-time: 1,628•(Of these, International: 988)

In early stages of developing international opportunities

Big goals

• Mid-sized school• Small state• Going global

World Image: Nemo, pixabay.com

High Aspirations

Graduate Student Professional Development Postdoctoral Development

Faculty Development

Collaborative Relationships (e.g, Shriver, IES) & Borrowing Best Practices

Starting Small

We used seminar formats to work with faculty and graduate students to discuss opportunities and experiences in international settings.

Goal: Open curiosity for international collaborations and positions.

Cultural Competence (NEW for STEM!)

The ability to interact effectively with people from other cultures and socio-economic backgrounds can be achieved through interactions with colleagues and people from other cultures, and through experiences abroad.

Taught in humanities and education; not taught to STEM faculty & students

1. Local U.S.-based workshops that discuss globalization

1) Awareness and cultural competence.

2) Series of seminars and workshops to broach the subjects of international awareness and intercultural communication among graduate students.

3) “Professors Beyond Borders” seminar for graduate students

4) “Preparing for Global Leadership: Cultural Competence and Connections with and for International Students and Colleagues.”

Workshop series began in 2011

Included international postdocs and faculty in subsequent workshops

Connected to an international organization

Increased awareness led to more interest, therefore workshops continue with $$

Council of Graduate Schools and Educational Testing Service. (2012). Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers. Report from the Commission on Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

UMBC graduate students agree

Influenced by:

2. International conferences

Involve graduate students, instructors, postdocs, alumni, and staff from the Office of the Provost in projects in Central and South America through the Latin and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI) and the World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF).

Cultural competence + awareness, led to $$ for international engagement

3. Provide opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to have short- term international experiences abroad.

1) We have funded opportunities ranging from 1 week to 3 months in Paris, the Czech Republic, and Mexico.

2) Connecting with Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico (ITESM) to facilitate visiting professorships, and with the U.S. Department of State and other organizations to expose students to global opportunities.

Global opportunities are now part of the professional development offerings

Connecting Faculty Mentors to Graduate Students through International Experiences

2011 – 2014 activities resulted in administrative buy-in for next steps:

PLAN: URM Engineering faculty and graduate students have international experiences as a cohort.

15 member Cohort: 8 URM STEM Women + 7 advanced URM STEM graduate students. Primary fields: Human-centered computing, chemical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, computational chemistry, marine chemistry, biological sciences.

Summer 2014: 1 week, International conference – LACCEI

Summer 2015: 2 weeks – workshops on campus with accompanying international experience ( 1 week of cultural immersion, plus 1 week at a conference)

Current status: Raising funds

PROMISE Faculty Mentors & ADVANCE Participants w/ LSAMP & AGEP

Connections

www.umbc.edu

PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP

•Renetta Tull, rtull@umbc.edu•Nanda Cortes, promisestaff@gmail.com

@Renetta_Tull, @PROMISE_AGEP

www.umbc.edu/promise