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

TowsonGlobal’s Business Plan Competition Returns

November 2, 2011
http://tuoutreach.com/author/clayhickson/

Clay

The time has arrived! TowsonGlobal’s Business Plan Competition is back for a second year.   The inaugural competition brought entries from a diverse group of entrepreneurs with interesting business concepts.  All had the same goal in mind—success.  And this second annual event promises to be even more inspiring, helping stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship across the region.

While the basic format of the competition remains the same, a few changes have been made to help better prepare entrants and to make the competition more interactive. For this second competition, interested participants are invited to attend free workshops which focus on the basics of a business plan, including:

  • writing an effective executive summary,
  • conducting useful market analysis,
  • and developing realistic financial projections.

The five chosen finalists will attend a required boot camp to help prepare for their final presentations.  Also, this time, presentations will be made both in private and at a public forum.  After which, the winner will be announced at a networking reception.

Business Plan Competition Workshop #1 (October 2011)

Timeline & Process:

  • October 19, 2011 — Business Plan + Executive Summary Workshop
  • October 26, 2011 — Market Analysis Workshop
  • November 10, 2011 — Financial Projections Workshop
  • February 6, 2012 — Executive Summaries Due (3-5 pages)
  • February 20, 2012 — Finalists (5) selected and notified to submit business plans
  • February 27, 2012 — Presentation boot camp for finalists
  • March 27, 2012 — Deadline for finalists’ submissions of business plans and PowerPoint presentations
  • May 2, 2012—Finalists present in front of judges, winner selected

We hope that participants will get as much of the competition as the first group did.  Lisa Drouillard of My Hopeful Journey, one of two 2011 winners, commented, “The business plan competition helped me to think of my business in a more tangible way and not just as a concept.”  The other winner, Ben Walsh of Pure Bang Games, added that participation “strengthened our ties to other early stage startups, and most importantly, Towson University.”

TowsonGlobal is looking forward to seeing the exciting, innovative concepts that will be brought to the competition.  For more details on the competition, visit TowsonGlobal’s Business Plan Competition page or email us at info@towsonglobal.com .

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Posted by Clay Hickson

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!

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Posted by Kelsey Beckett

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

Guest Blog: Maryland Stem Cell Research Symposium

September 26, 2011

Dan Gincel

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) has been promoting state-funded research and cures for the past five years. This year, we are partnering with Baltimore County, Stevenson University and Towson University to bring the 4th Annual Stem Cell Research Symposium to Towson University campus on Thursday, October 6, 2011.

The Symposium will feature remarks from policy makers such as Governor Martin O’Malley and Baltimore County Executive, Kevin Kamenetz, on how MSCRF research is creating jobs, expanding opportunities for Maryland graduates and changing the state and regional economy to become hi- and bio-tech driven.

The day will also include an unparalleled opportunity to:

  •  Learn about stem cell ethics issues such as embryonic stem cell dilemmas, animal/human chimeras and other hot topics that are covered in the media.
  • Listen to scientific talks that will cover topics from induced pluripotent stem cells, adult stem cells, clinical trials and many more all being performed right here in Maryland.
  • See 120 plus research posters summarizing years of progress towards finding cures to devastating diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disease and many more.
  • Join a community of 600 symposium attendees all of whom are passionate about stem cell research and cures.

Please check out our agenda and join Towson’s Interim President, Marcia Welsh, and myself and be part of this great event!

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Posted by Guest Blogger

VIDEO: When Construction Meets Economics (Education Meets the Workforce)

August 8, 2011

Jenn

This marks my first blog post on TUOutreach.com. As you will see below, I will be introducing you to the latest video in our Education Meets the Workforce series, which features student interns.

Being a recent graduate and former student employee of Towson University, I am able to reflect on my experience. Not only was I learning about marketing and communication in my coursework at Towson University, but I was able to apply what I was learning in a non-academic setting. In other words, I was able to break down the barrier between “academia” and “the real world.”

I recently had the opportunity to participate in an interview with one of TU’s current student interns, Chaz Kerrigan. Through the interview with Chaz, I found that he too valued his experience as a student intern here at TU. Chaz’ internship is with the Maryland Center for Construction Education and Innovation (MCCEI), which is a non-profit entity that promotes the importance of the construction industry in Maryland.

Chaz defines himself as a “utility intern”, meaning that he performs many different hands-on roles at MCCEI. He is involved with managing databases that contain information about training and education for the industry, and he also assists MCCEI with demand studies, which relates to his major: economics. This experience is providing Chaz with real world experience, networking opportunities, exposure to companies within the local construction market, and the chance to see how economic principles are applied in the industry.

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Posted by Jenn Lake

Save BIG on Think Big Baltimore

June 30, 2011

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Posted by Bobbie Laur

Class of 2011—an outlook on your job search!

May 18, 2011

Raquel Frye

Attention College graduates…tell your parents you are not moving back home!  With the spring semester coming to an end across the nation, a number of college students will soon be stepping out into the real world.   Undoubtedly, recent grads are feeling nervous entering a job market that was battered during the Great Recession. However, unlike the last four years, students have a reason to be optimistic.  According to the Executive Director of National Association of College and Employers (NACE), the job market for new college graduates is gaining momentum. For instance, employers are planning to hire 19.3 percent more new college graduates—with a starting average salary of $50,462—this year compared to the same time a year ago. This is by far one of the best spring outlooks since 2007, when employers increased hiring of new college graduates by 19.2 percent.

Also, don’t forget that possible job prospects could be sitting right under your nose.  If you are currently an intern at a company, it might be a good idea to ask for a full-time promotion.  According to a survey completed by NACE, employers recruited more than half of their interns to full-time positions. This marks the highest rate of intern-to-staff hiring in a decade.

TU students preparing for commencement next week!

Around Maryland, job fairs and job prospects are also starting to pick up speed.  According to an article by the Baltimore Sun, Loyola University and John Hopkins University have both seen an increase in employer interest for career fairs.  In fact, a record number of 130 employers attended Loyola’s spring career fair.  At Johns Hopkins, they have also seen an increase in employer participation at their own career fairs as well as on-campus interviews.

While job prospects may be brighter, we must also recognize that the economy is still fragile and your personal job market outlook also depends greatly on your major.  According to the president of CareerBuilder.com, in-demand majors include information technology, sales, finance and accounting – to name a few.  I would go out on a limb and say that economics majors are probably not doing too bad themselves.  After all, it’s a degree that can be tailored to a number of positions and jobs titles.  Regardless of your degree of choice, here’s hoping this year is brighter for all 2011 graduates!

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Posted by Raquel Frye

Master Trainer Certification with the Maryland Transit Administration: A Training Program in Demand!

May 11, 2011

Allie

In December of 2010 Towson University’s EEOL, in partnership with the MTA kicked off its Master Trainer Certification Program. The program, which currently consists of 2 sessions, a fall session and spring session, runs for approximately 2 weeks. Currently, there are 5 groups working to complete their certification.  Approximately 15 MTA employees take part in each session.  The overall goal of the Master Trainer Program is to give trainers the opportunity to upgrade their skills and learn from the field. Through designing and implementing this program and curriculum, EEOL instructors ensure consistent training methods are being instilled and concepts that address the broad spectrum of trainers at MTA are being met.

Topics covered in the 2-week training include, but are not limited to,

  • How Adults Learn,
  • Instructional Design for New Designers,
  • Instructional Techniques for New Instructors,
  • Training Needs Analysis,
  • and Presentation.

Upon training completion, each MTA employee does a 5-minute+ presentation.

Edward Moore, a Project Manager for the MTT workforce group has completed session one of his training, and stated,

“After many years as a training instructor with the MTA, I can truly say that the Master Trainer Program has shown me that the preparation and delivery of training programs should be done in a systematic manner.   It has shown me better ways of taking control of the classroom and to be more effective in my delivery of the material.  This was a wonderful course and the benefits to me in my everyday work life far exceed what I expected from the training.  It also helped that the Towson instructors were top notch in their field.”

EEOL hopes to expand this newly created and highly successful training model across the state of Maryland.

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Posted by Allie Pyzik

Questions and Concerns: How do I get my ESRI Certification?

March 30, 2011
Jeremy

Jeremy

A discussion at MSGIC’s recent quarterly meeting held at UMBC provided me with this month’s blog material.  While presenting what was new in ArcGIS 10, ESRI representatives wrapped up their presentation by touching on ESRI’s new certification program.  This set off a slew of questions and comments by attendees, some of which I’ll touch on below.

ESRI certification – What is it?
If you are ESRI certified, this basically means that you know a given set of ESRI software products extremely well.  There are several types of certification, each tailored to a person’s experience with a set of ESRI software products.  For example, there is a certification targeted specifically for individuals experienced in developing ArcGIS web applications (ESRI Certified Web Application Developer Associate).  In the future, every certification will have an associate and professional level, with the professional level certification signifying more experience and a broader knowledge of what the software can do.  Currently, only the ArcGIS Desktop certification has both the associate and professional levels available.

For more information on all of the possible ESRI certifications, click here.

So, how do I get ESRI certified?
In order to get certified, you must take a 90-95 multiple choice question examination at a certified Pearson VUE testing center.  According to the ESRI representatives at the MSGIC quarterly meeting, approximately 80% of the questions cover GIS theory and best practices, while the remaining 20% test knowledge of where to go within a given ESRI software product in order to complete a task.

Each examination attempt costs $225 and the exam is given in English only.  Upon completion of the exam, the exam taker will be informed in approximately 5 business days whether they passed or failed.  However, the exam taker will not be notified of which and how many questions were answered incorrectly.

For more information regarding taking an ESRI certification examination, click here.

Attendee’s Concerns
Along with the questions regarding how one gets ESRI certified, several attendees provided valid concerns that I believe are worth mentioning.

CO$T – An obvious concern is the fact that one needs to spend $225 per examination attempt.  Additionally, if this certification program takes off and RFP reviewers see the certification as a must then organizations that do GIS work are in a bit of a bind from a training standpoint:  do they foot the bill to get all GIS professionals certified or only a few?  This is something I never considered until the topic was brought up.

Lack of Transparency – Many attendees expressed their frustration that exam takers only receive a pass / fail notification and no indication of how many questions were answered wrong and which ones were answered wrong.

Confusing Qualification Language – If one views the Overview tab of the ArcGIS Desktop Associate certification description, the language mentions that the certification is focused towards ArcGIS 10 Desktop users.  However, if one views the Qualifications tab on that same page, one will notice that a qualified candidate for the certification will likely have two years experience with ArcGIS software.  This left some attendees asking “If this certification is geared towards ArcGIS 10 users, how can anyone be qualified to take the exam if ArcGIS 10 has not been out for two years?”  While I believe the qualification description is focusing on the GIS theory portion of the exam, I think it’s a valid question considering 20% of the questions that make up the exam focus on knowing where to go within the software (presumably ArcGIS 10) in order to complete a given task.

ESRI Review of Certification – Attendees were informed that ESRI may periodically review ESRI certifications.  In other words, there is a chance that a person who has an ESRI certification may have to become re-certified in the future if ESRI feels the certification needs to be updated.

More Questions? Feedback?

User feedback is always important.  For questions or comments regarding ESRI’s certification process, contact ESRI at certification@esri.com.

If you have more questions, visit the ESRI certification page’s FAQ section.

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Posted by Jeremy Monn

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