Graduate Assistantships—A Win-Win for Students and CPS

January 26, 2012

Allie

Each year, a number of Towson University departments, both academic and administrative, offer opportunities for qualified students to become graduate assistants.  . The process is competitive and responsibilities vary depending on the sponsoring department.  Depending on the number of hours graduate assistants (or GA’s) work they receive tuition remission and a stipend making these limited positions highly sought after.  The objective of a graduate assistantship is to provide the student with rich professional experiences that also support the department’s goals and activities.

Within our department, Center for Professional Studies, we regularly utilize graduate assistants to support a number of areas ranging from customized training programs to continuing education.  For the past two years we have had been lucky enough to have, Jenna Frazzini as a member of our team. Jenna is a speech and language pathology major. When Jenna first joined our group we were in the process of submitting a grant to the Maryland Higher Education Commission and identified an active role for Jenna to play in the proposed project. Over the past two years, Jenna has regularly traveled to Dundalk High School to help high school seniors with the college application process, essay writing, and basic interview skills. Jenna worked one on one with the students and feels confident that her interaction with the students had a large impact on the student’s confidence as it came time for them to begin applying to college.

When I asked Jenna what she’s found most rewarding during her tenure as a GA, she responded, “that the skills that she learned from dealing and communicating with several different groups of people in a business-like setting have been invaluable.”

Our Director, Jeff Beeson, while new to the job, is already looking for opportunities for us to employ more graduate assistants in the future.

Image credit: Desiree Stover

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Posted by Allie Pyzik

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

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Spring Preview

January 2, 2012

Jackie Gratz

Want to know what’s coming up for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s spring 2012 semester?   Attend its Preview of Spring Classes to be held on Thursday, January 19 from 10 a.m. until noon in the Merrick Lecture Hall at Goucher College.  There’s plenty of free parking with a short walk to the Lecture Hall.  At the Preview you’ll see and hear teachers as they give brief presentations of their upcoming courses.  A wide array of courses in the Fine Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences will be offered in spring as well as two book clubs and two film series.   Among the courses are

  • Cosmic Puzzles
  • Russia in Revolution
  • Disease and History
  • Roots of the Blues
  • Jewish Women in the American Labor Movement
  • Physics for Everyday Life
  • Traits of Triumphant Survivors
  • French Wines Demystified
  • and many more

Some of these courses are four-week courses and some are eight-week with all offered during the day.  The spring semester begins on March 5 and ends May 3. View the full list of course offerings.

The Osher Institute offers courses to persons 50 years of age and older, but makes a special offer to Towson University faculty and staff of any age who may join Osher at a reduced rate and take one course each semester without further charge.  If you are reading this blog, you are no doubt still employed and may not have the time to attend even one course.  But please spread the word about the Osher Preview and its upcoming spring semester among the older generations of your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

For more information about the Osher program, visit the Osher website call the office at 410-704-3688.  We’d love to send you a spring 2012 catalog with descriptions of all of the courses being offered and biographical information on the teachers who will teach them.

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Posted by Guest Blogger

Video: Meet Our Team – Jeff Beeson

November 23, 2011

Allie

Jeff Beeson is the Director of the Center for Professional Studies (CPS) within the Division of Economic and Community Outreach at Towson University. As Director, he is responsible for managing a dynamic team dedicated to meeting the diverse educational and consultation needs of clients regardless of their location. Prior to coming to Towson, Jeff was the Director of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program for the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR), and prior to that he was Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning at DLLR. Jeff has also worked for the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and as an aid for Senator Barbara Mikulski. Jeff is a graduate of Towson University earning his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and his Master’s degree in Social Sciences. To hear more about Jeff’s background and vision for the Center for Professional Studies watch the interview.

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Posted by Allie Pyzik

Social Media and Video Tips from the 2011 PRSA Chesapeake Conference

November 16, 2011

Jenn

If you noticed that the TUOutreach Facebook and Twitter accounts were quiet on Thursday November 3,  good observation! I am the social media manager around here, and I spent Thursday at the 2011 PRSA Chesapeake Conference, learning about social media and other marketing, public relations, and advertising media.

I could go into an in-depth discussion about my day, but I’d like to instead focus on a few of the sessions that I attended, and what I learned from them.

I started my day with a video presentation by Ed Beckett and Sharon Brown from University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). My top take-away ideas from this session:

1. If you don’t have a good space for video, you may be able to rent production space from a local public television station.
2. Try to include experts in your videos, this allows for strong content.
3. Be selective about who you interview on camera and make sure they’re comfortable on camera.
4. Take a thumb drive with you to video meetings so that you can collect photos, presentations, and other visuals to include in the video.
5. Be sure to have the visuals in your video complement the spoken words (for example, if you say “dog”, show a dog, and if you see a dog, say “dog”).
6. Use phrases like “you”, “as you can see here”, and “take a look at this” to draw audience attention.
7. Use your video in other outlets such as emails and social media to maximize efficiency.

After the video session, I sat in on a Twitter session presented by Governor O’Malley’s New Media Manager, Zoe Pagonis, as well as Lori Livingston, New Media Manager for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Some key take-aways from this session include:

1. Use presentation platforms like Prezi to switch it up from PowerPoint.
2. Use a hashtag so that the audience can tweet about your presentation.
3. Have a laptop on hand during the presentation so that the presenters can answer questions received via Twitter.
4. Integrate social media with other departments to maximize efficiency.
5. Include videos in press releases.
6. Use videos to personalize your message.
7. Use websites like Vimeo for paid and free background music for your videos.

While the conference had several sessions, these two stuck out as my favorites. As you can see, the sessions of the 2011 PRSA Chesapeake Conference left their audiences with some great take-aways. This event was a valuable experience, and I hope to return next year.

Logo for the 2011 PRSA Chesapeake Conference


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Posted by Jenn Lake

What is the Center for GIS Doing for GIS Day 2011?

November 14, 2011
Jeremy

Jeremy Monn

The Center for GIS (CGIS) will be taking part in GIS Day this Wednesday, November 16, 2011.  CGIS employees, along with Community College of Baltimore County students, will travel to Lutherville Laboratory Elementary School this year for GIS Day.  The event, organized by Eric Cromwell (Coordinator of Elementary Science for Baltimore County Public Schools), will involve approximately 120 fourth grade students.  The students will be divided into groups and each group will complete a Global Positioning System (GPS) quiz consisting of multiple choice questions that have numerical answers (e.g. Abraham Lincoln was the [fill in the blank] President of the United States.).  All of the possible answers will correspond to marked locations on a field at the school.  Once the groups have completed the quiz, each will be provided with a Garmin e-Trex GPS unit and asked to walk to the locations marked with their answers while the GPS unit tracks their route.  Each group will then map the routes using Google Earth and if the group answered the questions correctly their route will appear as a star.

In addition to the event at the Elementary School, CGIS staff will also attend two events. For the past several years, CGIS has attended the Maryland State Highway Administration’s (SHA) GIS Day event located at the SHA building in Baltimore.  At this event, CGIS staff will manage a booth and provide information on current projects and initiatives that CGIS is involved in.  If you will be attending SHA’s GIS Day event stop by CGIS’ booth and see what we are up to! Also, CGIS will attend Central Pennsylvania’s GIS Day celebration that will feature an exhibit hall, geo-challenge, genius bar, workshop, demonstrations and plenty of networking.

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Posted by Jeremy Monn

MTA’s Bus Operator Mentoring Program

November 7, 2011

Lindsey

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of Mentor is as follows:

1. a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

2. an influential senior sponsor or supporter.

While the definition is certainly a start, the positive impacts of a mentoring program on both employees and an organization are nearly impossible to measure. As a part of my position with the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), I get to hear and see some of those positive effects first hand as I have the pleasure of working with Towson University’s Center for Professional Studies (CPS) to develop and coordinate the first Pilot offering of MTA’s Bus Operator Mentoring Program.

The Bus Operator Mentoring Program aims to foster a strong internal support system to help with daily questions and concerns on the job. The first group of 16 mentors completed formal training on October 27, 2011, and is now working in each respective Bus Division to assist fellow Operators as needed. Following formal training, Mentors receive continued one-on-one coaching from Towson University Instructors and will also attend several “Best Practice Sessions” to discuss strategies, answer questions, and address concerns. Along with continued coaching Mentors will receive strong support and recognition from upper management within Bus Transportation to ensure the program’s success.

Issues and questions that Bus Operator Mentors will be able to assist with may include:

  • How to deal with difficult  customers
  • Where to get information about training opportunities available
  • How to best talk to management about a problem
  • Career advancement options
  • Referrals to MTA internal  programs (i.e. Employee Assistance Program)

“Bus Operators have a very challenging position and are also asked to maintain a positive, professional attitude as they represent the MTA,” states Robert Potts, Director of Bus Transportation. “The Bus Operator Mentoring Program will provide MTA Bus Operators with the support they need and will also open up the doors to positive communication for all levels of our organization.”

Mentors for the program were selected based on strong job performance and outgoing, empathetic personality. To be considered, they must have a minimum of 5 years of experience as a Bus Operator for the MTA.  Now that they are on the field there is no question that they will be able to continually serve as a positive role model for not only their peers but also employees across the organization.

For more information on MTA’s Bus Operator Mentoring Program, contact Lindsey Meyer at Lmeyer@mta.maryland.gov.

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

Education Meets the Workforce Strikes Again!

November 3, 2011

Jenn

Our most recent Education Meets the Workforce video focuses on Kristina Riera, a student intern for the Center for Applied IT (CAIT). Kristina manages all aspects of the banner advertising program on the State Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT) website. Kristina is a student in Towson University’s College of Business and Economics with concentrations in e-business and marketing.  This position gives her real world experience in these areas.  Watch the video to find out more about Kristina and her position at CAIT.

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Posted by Jenn Lake

Guest Blogger: 2011 CUMU Conference focus on “Creating Tomorrow’s Future Today”

October 17, 2011

Nicole Schiraldi

Towson University is home to the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) Headquarters where I work as the Program Coordinator.  Members of CUMU use the power of their campuses in education, research, and service to enhance the communities in which they are located. Institutions located in metropolitan areas often do not fit the common definition of more traditional colleges and universities. With Bobbie Laur out of the office on maternity leave, I was left to fend for myself at the 17th Annual Conference.  The theme “Creating Tomorrow’s Future Today” focused on urban development and community engagement. This year’s host university location, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), served as the perfect backdrop for a conference.


View From Nicole's Hotel Room

The conference agenda was full of exciting speakers and sessions, but I’d like to share my top 3 conference moments:

  1. Networking.  I have some of the most impressive university presidents in the country on my speed dial.  How many people can say that?  I met many incredibly influential people and networked all day and all night.
  2. Meeting the 2012 Superbowl Chairperson.  Indy is home to the 2012 Superbowl and the Bowl Chairperson, Allison Melangton, was our Opening Plenary speaker.  I am now following their blog and stories of community engagement – some of which are incredibly inspiring.
  3. Visiting the NCAA Hall of Fame.  Mark Emmert, president of the NCAA, and former ACE Fellow, was gracious enough to host our conference guests at the NCAA Hall of Fame for a casual dinner and tour.  The Hall of Fame showcases some of the best athletes in college sports.  My favorite part? The quote they live by, “There are over 400,000 NCAA student-athletes, and almost all of us will be going pro in something other than sports.”

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Posted by Guest Blogger

VIDEO: Education Meets the Workforce – Student Interns Get Hands-on GIS Experience

October 11, 2011

Jenn

Our newest Education Meets the Workforce video features student interns from Towson University’s Center for GIS. The interns, Justin Mannion, James Parmeter, and Alex Stapleton, work closely together on data collection processes in connection with the Maryland Broadband Map project. The Maryland Broadband Map allows residential and business consumers to discover the high-speed Internet services and providers in their neighborhood, anywhere in Maryland.

Watch the video to learn more about how the interns are contributing to the Maryland Broadband Map Project and to other projects at CGIS.

1 Comment | Community Outreach, Economic Analysis, Education, IT, Mapping, Marketing, News, Students, Training, TU Faculty & Staff | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Jenn Lake

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