How to Create and Launch a Community Outreach Website: The Story of TU in the Community

April 19, 2012

Kelsey

There have been a number of blog posts discussing the features of TU in the Community, as well some of the projects that are listed in the database. But have you ever wondered about how the website was created and launched?

When I first started in my position, one of my tasks was to edit and expand a white paper about TU in the Community, that was started by my colleague, Lindsey Meyer. This paper explained how TU in the Community was conceived and how it is used. The framework of the paper was already written.  I edited the content and added some missing pieces.

Below, you can click on the picture to read the finished version of the white paper and learn about:

  • The history of TU in the Community;
  • The features of the website;
  • The management of the website; and
  • The future of TU in the Community.

This white paper was a great way for me to learn more about TU in the Community and its many uses. I think that users of the website, as well as other institutions looking to launch or revamp their own outreach websites will also find some great things in the paper.

If you have any questions about TU in the Community that have not been answered here, please contact me at 410-704-2678 or kbeckett@towson.edu. I would be more than happy to chat with you about the website and how it can be of use to you!

1 Comment | Community Outreach | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Kelsey Beckett

Making time for FUN: The 2012 Chili Cook-Off and Dessert Contest

February 15, 2012

Kelsey

Love was in the air in the Division of Economic and Community Outreach (DECO) on Valentine’s Day. Staff members gathered together on this romantic day to participate in our most beloved event, DECO’s Annual Chili Cook-Off and Dessert Contest. This is always a highly anticipated event in the Division and this year we had seven entrants in the chili competition and eight in the dessert. Those in attendance sampled each dish and voted on their three favorites in each category.

The chili entries ranged from spicy to sweet and meaty to vegetarian. They were all delicious, but only three could take home prizes. All winners received a ribbon. In addition to the ribbon, the first place winner received a medal and a gift card to Chili’s. Those winners were:

  • First place: Dyan Brasington, Vice President for DECO
  • Second place: Sharon Seybold, Administrative Business Analyst, DECO Administration and Finance
  • Third place: Christine Tennies, Business Analyst, Center for Applied IT (CAIT)

You might be thinking, sure sure of course the boss wins. First, this actually isn’t her first time winning; her winning dish is known as the “chili to beat.”  Second, this year the social committee upped the competition by putting all of the chilis in aluminum chafing dishes as opposed to the crock pots they arrived in so no one could tell whose was whose.  Needless to say Dyan is very pleased to be crowned the winner and has already laid down the gauntlet for the 2013 showdown!

From left to right: Christine Tennies, Sharon Seybold, and Dyan Brasington

The dessert competition also featured some diverse entries. There were pies, cakes, brownies, and more. Again, three winners were chosen. The winners received the same prizes as the chili contest, but the first place dessert winner took home a Cheesecake Factory gift card. The dessert champions were:

  • First place: Lusine Baghdasarian, Intern, DECO Administration and Finance
  • Second place: Bob Telewicz, Senior Project Manager, Center for Applied IT (CAIT)
  • Third place: Tom Earp, Project Manager, Center for Geographic Information Sciences (CGIS)

From left to right: Bob Telewicz, Lusine Baghdasarian, and Tom Earp

This event was a fun way to get together and enjoy some friendly competition between colleagues. People are already excited about next year’s contest and are discussing their chili and dessert plans. It is sure to be a fierce competition.

Congratulations again to all of this year’s winners and all of the participants!

DECO staff members enjoying the festivities

2 Comments | TU Faculty & Staff | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kelsey Beckett

TU Aims to be the “BEST” in STEM Teaching

January 4, 2012

Kelsey

Towson University has long been known as the “teachers college”. Though it is now a comprehensive metropolitan public university, TU still maintains its strong roots in teacher education. The pedagogies and curriculum have evolved over the years as the field and needs of our community and students have changed, today a large focus for TU and educators across Maryland is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.

The Baltimore Excellence in STEM Teaching (BEST) project, which is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), realizes this and aims to improve STEM education at high schools and middle schools throughout the Baltimore region. The BEST project is a part of Towson University’s Center for STEM Excellence and offers training and mentoring to in-service STEM teachers and educational outreach to their students. Mentors come from many area higher education institutions, including TU. Participating teachers go through a 6-week summer research experience, which is followed by professional development workshops. Teachers then take what they have learned from the BEST Program and apply it in their classroom.

I was recently able to speak with Julie Damico, the Director of the BEST program. She began her position in July of 2010 and though the program is young, it is growing in popularity. Ms. Damico informed me that for the 2012-2013 school year, there were 52 applicants for about 20 spots. She also provided me with some thoughts from previous years’ participants and they had some great things to say.

  • While many of the participants spoke of gaining more skills in their field, I was surprised to see how many talked about the confidence boost they received from the program.
  • A lot of the teachers had not done research in a long time and this program was a chance to do just that.
  • Many of the participants noted that this research experience helped to confirm that they had chosen the right career path.

This new knowledge and confidence invigorated the teachers and got them excited to take it all back to their students to improve STEM education in their classrooms.

BEST is a great program and it is making strides in the improvement of STEM education in and around Baltimore. I encourage everyone, and especially any middle and high school teachers, to check out the BEST program and see what it has to offer.

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Posted by Kelsey Beckett

Get “In the Money” with TU in the Community’s New Funder Tool

November 28, 2011

Kelsey

As promised in one of my previous blog posts, there is indeed a new feature on TU in the Community!  The Funder Tool is an exciting new initiative that was launched about a month ago and since then over 25 users have added new profiles.

The purpose of the tool is to increase collaboration across the university and to support faculty and staff efforts in grants and contracts initiatives. In plain English, that means that the tool makes it easier for faculty and staff to gain funding for their projects and research. Users can log into TU in the Community and have a number of funding opportunities at their fingertips. They can also receive emails about opportunities as they become available. The list of grants is by no means exhaustive, but it represents the opportunities that the Development Office and the Office of University Research Services (OURS) find the most relevant to TU faculty and staff members.

The great thing about the Funder Tool is that it contains opportunities for the many interests of Towson University. A user is just as likely to find a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) grant as a grant for the arts. Also, if users maintain contact with OURS and Development, the two offices will have a better idea of what kinds of opportunities to include in the tool.

To begin using this tool, users need to ensure that their profiles are up-to-date and that they include their administrative division/college, as well as their research and professional interests. Once this information is updated, users will be sent emails about opportunities relating to these interests as they are added to the database.

TU in the Community is working with members of Development and OURS to ensure that new opportunities are continually added. To begin taking advantage not only of the Funder Tool, but of TU in the Community in general, log on today!

1 Comment | Community Outreach, TU Faculty & Staff | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kelsey Beckett

Towson Students Win Maryland Cyber Challenge and Scholarships

October 27, 2011

Kelsey

Cyber attacks continue to be a serious and growing threat to our nation’s governments and businesses. In turn, it has become a growing workforce need, especially in the Maryland-D.C. region.  The Maryland Cyber Challenge and Conference hopes to mitigate these threats and develop high school and college students with an interest in computers into cyber security experts. This year’s Conference was held October 21 and 22 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Eight college teams competed in the Cyber Challenge, held on Saturday October 22, but in the end it was TOWSON UNIVERSITY that took home First Place!

However, the road to victory was not an easy one. As Professor Michael O’Leary, team advisor, explains, “the competition between UMCP, UMBC and Towson was extremely close – when the scoreboard was turned off, each of the three teams had roughly 35,000 points, with Towson first and UMCP and UMBC tied and just 300 points behind.”

After two online qualifying competitions and the all-day event on Saturday, Towson University came out ahead. The members of TU’s team are Andrea Mobley (Captain), Brian Cather, Jonathan Fragale, Dustin Hanks, Dennis Hayden, and Roberto Melendez.

In addition to the pride of winning, each student received a $5,000 scholarship from the National Security Administration and will be offered a summer internship with SAIC, a science and engineering firm. These two fantastic prizes will help expand the student’s knowledge and experience in the growing Cyber Security field.

Image credit: jscreationzs

Team captain Andrea Mobley said of the win, “I think our win over two graduate teams (one of which is a University of Maryland team) and the rest of our competitors (Capitol College, University of Maryland Graduate students, University of Maryland Undergraduate students, Goucher, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland University College, and a group of collective students) keeps Towson University on the radar for the national competition in February and for employers looking to hire security professionals.”

Be sure to read the Baltimore Sun article to learn more about the event!

Leave a Comment » | Events, Homeland Security, IT, News, Students, TU Faculty & Staff | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Kelsey Beckett

“Mapping Out” Towson University’s Community Engagement

September 29, 2011

Kelsey

This is my first blog post and it is coming at a pretty great time. I have been in this new position for about a month and a half and finally feel like I know my way around TU in the Community. I have begun meeting with faculty and staff members and have even been working on a new feature that will be debuting soon!

One of the most useful features that I’ve found on TU in the Community is the Community Project Map.

With this map, you can enter an address to find community engagement projects close to you. You can click on the markers to learn about each opportunity. You can also be taken to the project listing within the TU in the Community database to find information about the project, contact information, and more.

It is a simple way to see what opportunities are available where you live or work and it’s a great way to see how you can get involved. As more faculty, staff, students and community members realize how great of a resource the TU in the Community website is, they can start collaborating with others on community engagement projects. It’s a win for everybody involved! Look at the map and get connected today.

For more information about the map or anything related to TU in the Community, contact  TUintheCommunity@towson.edu or 410-704-2678.

Leave a Comment » | Community Outreach, Education, Mapping, TU Faculty & Staff | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kelsey Beckett

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