ENST192

ENES192 is new to UMD for spring 2020, so by enrolling you will help to shape how the course is offered and provide important feedback for how to improve the UMD community through invention! Hope to see you there!  Click this link to register! ter.ps/E4USA   

Flex your skills and grow some muscle working on problem identification, teamwork and get hands-on experience.  ENES192 is a studio and workshop class open to non-engineering majors that invites everyone to engage in the process of invention.  If you want a space to dabble with a new idea, tinker with some hardware, or explore your ability to be creative, you'll find this new Gen-Ed scholarship in practice class is just the space for you! No prior experience necessary and all abilities are welcome! This class exists in an ecosystem of creativity, problem discovery, and problem-solving at UMD.  It is a smaller commitment than a multi-part programmatic element and a larger bite than a one-credit design thinking class.  Like a community theater that invites contributions from all with an interest in developing acting skills, this engineering class is an inclusive space for anyone interested in invention, creativity, and making. For your three credit investment, you will learn answers

• Which style of creativity do I prefer? (How you create is what you create)
• Why do I usually hate group work and how do I fix a dysfunction in my team? (The double-edged sword of dominant logic diversity)
• How do you move beyond the 'problem discovery' phase of design thinking and into implementation and experimentation via an invention? (All four steps! Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate)
• What's the deal with rapid prototyping, anyways?  Are 'atoms' so different from 'bits' when it comes to authentic engagement and evaluation?   (Iterae, Itereat, Iterate)
• How does someone who knows nothing about my idea help me improve it?  How do I communicate and get useful feedback from just about anyone? (Generative, not reactive, pitch style)
• AND MORE!

The regular class meeting will be MW form 2-3:50. There will be two required field trips and two required rehearsals (Schedules will be distributed early in the semester) - akin to a performance class.  Due to the one-semester nature of the course, you will have an opportunity to do rapid iteration and 'fail fast.'  Successful students will be those who have an interest in exploration and connection over those who are looking for a one-size-fits-all approach.

Fulbright US Student Grant Program

The Fulbright US Student Grant Program offers thousands of opportunities to do research, study, or teach English around the globe. 

Current juniors and seniors, and recent alumni, and grad students are eligible to apply for Fulbright grants this coming autumn 2020. (US Citizenship is required.)

Click here to get a head start in learning about Fulbright international research, study, and English teaching opportunities, to gain access to our ELMS resource site for Fulbright applicants, and to receive notice about our winter Fulbright info sessions.

You can visit the Fulbright US Student Grant Program website by clicking here.

UMD National Scholarships Office 

fulbright@umd.edu

Harvard Summer Research Program

The 2020 Harvard Forest Summer Research Program is now accepting applications from a diverse group of undergraduate students to join an immersive research experience.

This 11-week paid residential internship (May 18 - July 31, 2020) is located at Harvard’s world-class ecological research hub in Petersham, Massachusetts.  

The program seeks to support students in conducting research and building their careers through Research, Education, and Community.

Undergraduates from all U.S. colleges and universities are eligible to apply but must be U.S. Citizens or Resident Aliens.

The strict application deadline is Feb. 7, 2020. Learn more.

Renewable Innovation and Sustainability Program in Iceland

Home Programs Apply

 Iceland: Spring Break & Summer 2020 
Renewable Innovation & Sustainability

Iceland is a top destination for awe-inspiring adventure travel and ecotourism. Home to jaw-dropping natural landscapes and pristine topography, as well as authentic Nordic culture and welcoming atmosphere, Iceland is TGP's most popular destination for experiential sustainability education, bucket list adventuring, and unique cultural immersion.

*Limited Space Remaining*

Studying Iceland's Geothermal Energy - A typical day "in the classroom"

Wake up at a local family-run guesthouse and enjoy Skyr (local Icelandic food

Class: Environmental Policy & Sustainble Electricity

Site Visit: Iceland's Largest Geothermal power plant tour (carbon net-negative facility)

Contribute to Iceland's reforestation efforts

Experience the impacts of climate change - Glacier Ice Walk

Capstone development with your team of sustainability leaders

Apply

TGP also offers programs going to Peru, Nepal and Japan. Explore them on our program page below. Remember that programs fill on a first-come first-serve basis so the sooner you apply (free), the better your odds are to get accepted into the program you want.

"I’ve always been independent, adventurous person who cares deeply about the environment & what the future looks like, but TGP has deepened those characteristics more than I thought possible." Emma A.  -Philosophy and Politics Major, Durham University

University of Maryland Summer SRI

The Summer Research Initiative (SRI) was created in 1999 by the Office of the Dean in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) and is supported by the Office of the Provost, the Graduate School, the Office of the Vice President for Research and the College. The program is designed to encourage and enhance the diversity of scholars working in the social and behavioral science fields.

In that spirit, we are interested in receiving applications to the program from a broad spectrum of students, including African Americans, Latino/Hispanics, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, as well as students with research interests related to diverse communities.

The goals of the SRI are to:

• Increase the knowledge of, and interest in, doctoral-level training in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences;
• Provide rising juniors and seniors an opportunity to learn about graduate studies and the range of research and scholarship in the social, behavioral and economic sciences at the University of Maryland;
• Provide a laboratory experience that enhances basic research knowledge and skills;
• Provide lectures, workshops, didactic exchanges, and other programming to enhance students' knowledge of the graduate application process, negotiating the academic rigors and professional and personal challenges encountered in graduate school, and developing career paths in social, behavioral and economic sciences; and
• Provide mentoring and networking opportunities for students to advance their training in the social, behavioral and economic sciences.

The SRI is part of the College's longstanding commitment to increasing the number of underrepresented minorities who pursue graduate degrees in the social, behavioral and economic sciences. According to 2016 data from the magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, the university ranks 12th in the country in the number of graduate and professional degrees awarded and 28th in the number of undergraduate degrees awarded to underrepresented minority students. The Summer Research Initiative is an integral part of our efforts.

The application for the 2020 SRI will be available from November 1, 2019, to February 10, 2020. Applications will be reviewed February – March 2020 and selection announcements will be made beginning April 2020. 

The actual program runs 8 weeks, from June 1 – July 24, 2020. Students are required to arrive on campus on Saturday, May 30 for mandatory Saturday and Sunday program orientation, but SRI programming will officially begin on Monday, June 1.

For more information, click here.

University of Iowa Research Experience

Interdisciplinary Geospatial Approaches to Watershed Science

This summer research experience is focused on the sustainable provision of clean water and food in a Midwest agricultural watershed. Students engage in team-based approaches, under the mentorship of expert faculty, to examine human-environment issues critical to a sustainable society. Conduct field research using cutting-edge geospatial technologies and state of the art facilities. Additional details can be found on the attached flyer.  Program dates are May 25 – July 31, 2020.

10-Week Program Benefits Include:

• $600/week stipend ($6,000 program total)
• Per diem meal allowance
• On-campus University of Iowa housing
• Roundtrip paid travel expenses
• Multiple fieldtrips and research methods workshops

Eligibility:

• Enrolled in a degree program for a bachelors or associate degree
• Interest in pursuing graduate school or a career in research
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• We especially encourage students from underrepresented groups to apply
• No formal research experience needed

Applications are due February 20, 2020. Additional information and the application can be found here.

For questions, email program directors Marc Linderman (marc-linderman@uiowa.edu) or Adam Skibbe (adam-skibbe@uiowa.edu)

U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Wetland Mapping Positions

Geospatial Analysts Needed to Map Wetlands!

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is the principal U.S. federal agency tasked with assessing the extent of America’s wetland habitats through time. The USFWS National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Program fulfills this role by collecting information on wetland habitats to aid in natural resource decision-making. Data produced by the NWI has catalyzed billions of dollars’ worth of wetland conservation and restoration, resulting in a brighter environmental future. 

The NWI anticipates hiring two fulltime contractual staff in early 2020 at FWS Headquarters in Falls Church, VA. The new staff members will be hired for one year, and can be renewed up to three years. Pay will be commensurate with experience relevant to the creation of land cover datasets in a GIS environment through the interpretation of remotely sensed imagery. Natural resource experience, especially pertinent to wetlands, is highly desirable. 
The new staff will work as part of an interagency team to track wetland change within agricultural easements. They will gain experience, not only with land cover mapping, but also with wetland science, policy and project management. 

Please contact Megan Lang if you are interested in learning more (Megan_Lang@fws.gov).  

Smith Business Minor

The Smith Business Minor program has officially opened their applications for student interested in pursuing a minor in General Business, Business Analytics, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

If you have any questions, visit us online at go.umd.edu/smithminors or email smithminors@rhsmith.umd.edu.

U.S Census Job Opportunities

Summary
This vacancy is for Survey Statistician positions in the Associate Director for Demographic Programs (ADDP) located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line – Suitland Station.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with supervisor and employees performing work for the assigned programs and projects.
• Apply statistical techniques and methods in performing project related-activities.
• Gather survey requirements, develop specifications, procedures, survey materials, and train for data collection.
• Document procedures, problems encountered, and lessons learned and make preliminary recommendations for improvements.
• Plan, coordinate, implement, and monitor project/survey activities for household surveys.

GRADE 11/12:https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/551937000

Announcement Number ADDP-2020-0003 (DHA)

GRADE 7/9:

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/551936100

Announcement Number ADDP-2020-0002 (DE)

Application will close at 11:59 p.m., EST, on Friday, December 13, 2019.

Joseph M. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship Award

Applications and nominations are now being accepted for the Joseph M. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship Award. Applications and nominations for the 2020-2021 academic year are due March 22,  2020. All University Graduate and Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Faculty, staff, and members of the campus community are welcome to nominate deserving students of this award.  

The scholarship award was established in recognition of Joe Mitchell's compassion for the less fortunate members of our society and in honor of his ability to befriend, guide and mentor individuals whose ability to succeed as students at our institution was challenged by some personal or family circumstances. Scholarships will be awarded each fall and spring semester to one or more deserving students. These are one-time awards of up to $2,000 per recipient.

For more information about the Scholarship Award, please visit http://josephmitchell.umd.edu. 

If you have any questions or would like more information regarding the scholarship, please feel free to contact either Tynesha McCullers (tmcculle@umd.edu, 301-314-7484) or Dai-An Tran (datran@umd.edu, 301-314-0416).

NC State Asheville Internships

NCICS is looking for several winter/spring interns for the following projects.

NOTE: All positions will be located in downtown Asheville, NC, in the Veach-Baley Federal Building, which houses NCICS and NOAA NCEI’s headquarters.

Project 1: The U.S. Climate Reference Network and Remotely Sensed Moisture Data

The goal of this project is to apply The U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) soil moisture standardization methods on remotely sensed soil moisture data to provide a measure of agricultural drought conditions across the globle. USCRN has been collecting soil moisture data for over nine years, but only at its 114 locations in the United States. Satellites provide near-global estimates of soil moisture conditions. The student will learn to work with remotely sensed raster data sets to evaluate climatological statistics and generate a derived near-global data product. Comparisons between remotely sensed and in situ soil moisture observations (raw and standardized products) will provide a hands-on experience using geographic information system (GIS) technology. Proposed deliverables include a standardized satellite soil moisture dataset, an overview of the comparability between remotely sensed and in situ soil moisture datasets, and a presentation of these results and activities to leadership.

Project 2: Methodology and Tool Development to Support NCEI Data Product Risks

NOAA NCEI’s Center for Weather and Climate (CWC) is interested in developing a simple tool to assess the risk level for its operational data products. The project include design and development of a simple methodology for assessing individual risk areas related to observatory health and redundancy, ingest, IT hardware, software, personnel, and access, as well as consideration of product sponsor, budget, and product priority score (Core system). For example, users may input a score of 1–5 for each of these using a common set of score definitions. Ideally, the tool would be spreadsheet-based and will include instructions and documentation as part of training the user. The goal is to begin a basis for risk management starting with something simple. The student would work closely with CWC leadership and other leads of the NCEI organization to understand needs, requirements, and use cases.

Project 3: Climate Customer Engagement and Analytics

This internship project involves analyzing and summarizing user analytics and activities from the NOAA NCEI Regional Climate Centers and American Association of State Climatologist partners in support of the National Climate Services Partnership. The student will become familiar with Salesforce as a tool and will gain an awareness of the various uses and applications of climate information, especially at the regional and state level. NCEI will benefit from improved integration of regional and state level user analytics and requirements for CWC user engagement activities. Deliverables will include a summary report and presentation of recent activities and a template for continued reporting of these activities to leadership.

Applications must be submitted through the NCSU jobs website: http://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/126270. Please provide a cover letter, including the project you’re interested in, a resume, and contact information for 3 references. The application process will remain open until the positions are filled.

ENGL478B

IHS GIS Internship

GIS Internship at the Indian Health Service: an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services

This is an opportunity to work on the development of a GIS program for an agency that provides health services to American Indians/Alaska Natives. The IHS provides health care to American Indians/Alaska Natives in over 500 facilities in 35 states across 12 areas with a staff of 15,000 employees. 

The Intern will work with planning and statistics staff in the Office of Public Health Support and its contractors, utilizing ArcMap software and accessing IHS geodatabases. The applicant should have a good working knowledge of ESRI software including ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro and be interested in its application to health issues and service delivery, disease identification and the social determinants of health. It is anticipated that the intern will support agency efforts in mapping facilities, services, and health issues as well as complete an individual project of interest related to IHS work and GIS to the intern to be designed with the IHS staff. Potential projects  might include analysis of chronic disease data by location, tribe, or area; evaluation of substance abuse and mental health services by use and location; development of air ambulance networks, comparison of facility size and service area over time; identification of patterns of migration by America Indians and Alaska Natives throughout the US; validation of boundaries of reservations and tribal lands; location of services on reservations and tribal lands; and tracing patterns of infectious diseases.

The IHS office is located in the HHS building at 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD within walking distance of the Twinbrook Parkway Metro stop.

The internship is unpaid and will last approximately two to three months depending on the academic schedule and preferences of the applicants. Applicants will undergo a standard background check before beginning the internship. Based in part on their experience and skills, past interns have received additional offers to work in federal and other government offices.

For further information, please contact Lucie Vogel

Lucie.vogel@ihs.gov

301-443-1133

GEOG498F

U.S. Forest Service Native American Research Assistantship

Summer 2020: USFS Native American Research Assistantship

The Wildlife Society, alongside the U.S. Forest Service, a Premier Partner of TWS, has announced new Native American Research Assistantships for Summer 2020.

This is the sixth year for the professional development program, which facilitates opportunities for Native American students to be mentored by USFS research and development scientists. The program promotes student advancement and training for careers in natural resource and conservation-related fields. Assistantship participants aid and learn about the USFS’ ecological, science-based approach to decision-making and balancing multiple use management of national forests and grasslands.

Assistantships are available for Native American students interested in wildlife and forest resource research and management. Students will learn and work with an interdisciplinary team of researchers with the USFS during 2020. Applicants must be a member of an American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, First Nations or a Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or have some other indigenous identification, and be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program from an accredited academic institution.

Pursuit of a bachelor’s or master’s degree in wildlife biology, ecology, forestry or other closely related natural resource discipline is preferred. Students with related associate’s degrees from tribal colleges and universities or other community colleges will be also be considered.

To read more about this opportunity and to apply, visit: https://wildlife.org/apply-now-for-usfs-native-american-research-assistantship/ 

Exciting Courses Available this Spring! GEOG498I & INST208A

Hello GeoTerps! I wanted to draw your attention to two courses available this Spring with open seats. 

GEOG498I: Algorithms for Geospatial Computing

For GIS Majors, counts as upper level technical requirement.

For GEOG Majors, counts as an elective. 

For GIS Minors, counts as upper level technical requirement. 

Course Description
• Introduction to fundamental geometric algorithms for spatiotemporal data processing and analysis.
• Managing and clustering point clouds for processing and analysis of LiDAR data.
• Terrain modeling: representations, query algorithms, visibility and morphological analysis.
• Applications: terrain reconstruction, urban modeling, forest management and coastal data management and analysis.
• Algorithms for road network analysis and reconstruction.
• Scalable algorithms and representations for big geospatial data. 

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INST208A: How NASA Sees the Earth (Taught by a GEOG Professor!)

For GIS Majors, counts as a supporting sequence requirement.

For GEOG Majors, counts as a supporting sequence requirement. 

For GIS Minors, counts as an elective. 

Course Description

The world of Earth science data is complex and can be overwhelming with a wide range of data sources and formats, hefty downloads (Big Data!) and the need for complicated analytical tools. In order to make use of enormous volume of available data and geoinformation products, one has to know where and how to search and obtain the data, how to analyze the data and extract useful information and knowledge. For example, what is the spatial distribution and temporal variation of Earth science variables (ESVs), such as temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, sea ice cover, aerosols, cloud cover, and vegetation cover? How to calculate climatology and anomalies of ESVs and identify long-term trends? What are spatial-temporal relationships between ESVs?

In this course, you will learn about the state-of-the-art Web-based tools that allow you to efficiently display and analyze a large number of datasets in a way many professionals working in the Earth science domain would. You will learn how to visualize multiple Earth science datasets produced by NASA in a variety of ways directly on the Internet, without the need to download, manage and store them. Students will be introduced to comprehensive functions to analyze the data and generate customized maps, animations, multi-variable correlations, regional subsetting, etc. Not only will students will acquire theoretical and practical skills necessary to analyze the data, but they will also learn how to interpret the data, extract knowledge and connect it to socio-economic information.

To look at course syllabi for these classes, please follow this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10_X12DrSFJcE9fQ5QLmbMIBfKyQcp1z8?usp=sharing

Scholarship for 2020 Luojia International Summer Program

The 2020 Luojia International Summer Program at Wuhan University is now acccepting applications. Wuhan University plans to provide 2 scholarship places for each partner university. The scholarship will cover the registration fee, tuition fee, and housing expense for participant students (see details in Tuition & Fees, 2020 Brochure-Luojia Int'l Summer Program WHU).

 

This summer program was initiated by Wuhan University in 2006. Under the theme of "Understanding China: Past & Present", the program has been endeavoring to provide an exchange platform for international students to get a better understanding of Wuhan University and China.

 

The schedule of the program is as follows:

 

Topics include Chinese history, law, economics, diplomacy, architecture, philosophy, trans-cultural communication, and radar/remote sensing technology. Contact Amanda or Dr. Liang for more information!

Free Math Tutoring

UMD BCM - Baptist Collegiate Ministries are once again offering FREE math tutoring in the Memorial Chapel Interfaith Lounge. We will have pizza, snacks, and several tutors available to help you while you work.

RSVP REQUIRED (as late as the day of!) to Jess at jessbcm@umd.edu.
Please reply with the class you are taking, and time you plan on attending.