3/4/24 - Alumna Blasts Into Space
As the countdown reached zero and the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off amid billowing smoke and flame from the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Sunday night, a Terp was preparing to take up temporary residence in a new home circling over the globe.
Mission specialist Jeanette Epps M.S. ’94, Ph.D. ’00, one of four astronauts on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, is beginning a six-month stint on the International Space Station (ISS), where she’ll serve as a flight engineer. A NASA astronaut since 2009, she ventured into space for the first time.
02/5/24 - Jeanette Epps: From Engineer to Astronaut
Jeanette Epps, who received her doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland in 2000, pursued a successful career in engineering—working for Ford and the CIA and co-authoring several patents—before being selected by NASA for astronaut training. In the coming weeks, she is set to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket and then begin a half-year stint as part of the ISS crew.
10/25/23 - Alumnus Receives National Medal of Technology and Innovation
"President Joe Biden yesterday awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the nation’s highest award for technological achievement, to a University of Maryland alum, faculty member and benefactor.
Jeong H. Kim Ph.D. ’91, namesake of the A. James Clark School of Engineering's administration and interdisciplinary research and education building, was recognized for his advances in broadband optical systems, data communications and wireless technologies that have made communication faster and clearer, including improvements in battlefield communications that strengthen national security."
10/3/23 - ECE Alumna Rose Faghih wins NIH MIRA
"ECE Alumna Rose Faghih (’08) has been awarded the National Institutes of Health Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators. The award is accompanied by a five-year $1,825,840 grant for her project entitled “MESH: Multimodal Estimators for Sensing Health”.
Faghih is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and Director of the Computational Medicine Laboratory. Her research interests include wearable technologies, medical cyber-physical systems and control, estimation and system identification of biomedical and neural systems."
9/1/23 - UMD Team Lands First Place in VFS Competition
"Graduate students from the University of Maryland’s Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center (AGRC) have won first place in the Vertical Flight Society’s (VFS) 40th Annual Student Design Competition.
Led by Nathan O’Brien, a UMD Clark Fellow, the team took the top spot in the graduate category with its design for a high-speed vertical takeoff and landing (HSVTOL) aircraft. The victory comes with a $2,500 stipend. O’Brien and fellow team members Xavier Delgado, Brendan Egan, Noam Kaplan, Ray Shimry Garatsa, and Nicholas Paternostro will be invited to present their design at the next VFS Annual Forum and Technology Display."
7/28/23 - Alum Sean Andersson named Mechanical Engineering Department chair at Boston University
"Alum Sean Andersson (ECE Ph.D. 2003) has been named chair of the Boston University Mechanical Engineering Department. He had been serving as interim chair of the department since July 2022, and has been on the university's faculty since 2006."
7/23/23 - Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department Graduate Selected for Prestigious Department of Energy Award
"Nahin Ferdousi-Rokib, PhD ‘23, chemical engineering, was one of 87 graduate students recently selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program (SCGSR). Through world-class training and access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources at DOE national laboratories, SCGSR prepares graduate students for positions of critical importance to its mission and to maintaining the nation’s position at the forefront of discovery and innovation."
7/3/23 - Alum's Book Explores 'Lost Relics' that Spurred the Nuclear Era
"It all began with a mysterious gift that landed on the desk of Tim Koeth, a nuclear physicist and Maryland Engineering researcher with a penchant for nuclear oddities: a cube of uranium metal wrapped in a cryptic note that read, “Taken from Germany from the nuclear reactor Hitler tried to build. Gift of Ninninger.”
What followed was a yearslong quest by Koeth, an assistant professor in the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering, and his student-turned-colleague Miriam “Mimi” Hiebert Ph.D. ’19 to discover the origin of the cube and its place in the high-stakes race between the United States and another would-be nuclear power: Nazi Germany."
Upcoming Events
Biological Sciences Graduate Student Appreciation Series
Registration for all sessions & welcome all GradTerps | Various dates | Virtual | Suitable
Biological Sciences (BISI) BioGrad Pathways has organized a series of events to celebrate April as the Graduate Student Appreciation Month. The events involve developing transferable skills and engaging career chats with BISI alumni, offering invaluable guidance.
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What's Next? Strategies for a seamless Ph.D. to Postdoc journey (Friday, April 11, 3-5 pm)
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BISI Alumni Career Chat (Friday, April 18, 10-11 am)
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The Job Seeker's Toolkit: Creating Impactful CVs, Resumes & Cover Letters (Tuesday, April 22, 3-5 pm)
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The Hidden Curriculum: Identifying and Developing Transferable Skills Throughout Your Ph.D. (Tuesday, April 29, 3-5 pm)
Wellness Course on Difficult Dialogues: Speaking with Purpose and Processing Feedback
Session 1: Tuesday, April 15 & Session 2: Tuesday, April 29 | , 12-1 pm, Lee Building (2124)
The Graduate School hosts a monthly wellness course series. Each month will feature a topic which includes two sessions. Food will be provided at each session. Registration for both sessions, Food provided.
Leveraging Multigenerational Approaches for Professional Development in Public Health
Tuesday, April 22 | 3:00PM | Virtual | Registration
Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health presents its 2025 Professional Development Webinar Series. This webinar is presented by Tariem Burroughs, PhD, MS.Ed, MSODL from the Beta Omega Chapter at Drexel University, Dornsife School of Public Health.
Exponent Info Session at UMD: Learn About a Career in Consulting
Tuesday, April 29 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | ROOM 2124 LEE BUILDING | REGISTRATION REQUIRED | Suitable
Come and learn from a panel of current Exponent consultants: Jim Messina (Practice Director and Principal Scientist), Carrie Daniels (Senior Managing Scientist), and Paola Chrysostomou (Managing Scientist).
At Exponent, you’ll work on a variety of exciting projects, where you can flex your skills, collaborate, learn, and make a positive impact on people and communities. From day one, you will contribute to solving some of the most urgent and prominent engineering problems in the world. From day one, you will contribute to solving some of the most urgent and prominent engineering problems in the world. View the event flyer for more details.
Learn more about Exponent Careers for Students.
Spots are limited! Don't miss this great opportunity for PhD students and Postdocs to learn more and network in person! Snacks will be provided. All levels of PhD students and Postdocs are welcome.
Fireside Chat: Academia v. Industry
Thursday, May 1 | 5:00PM-6:30PM | Capital One Tech Incubator, 7878 Diamondback Dr., Suite A (located on the backside of The Hotel) | Suitable
Join us for a fireside chat specifically for graduate and PhD students to discuss the nuances of career paths in academia versus industry. This will be a casual and conversational event, designed to help you understand the different challenges and opportunities in each field. We'll have experts from both sectors sharing their experiences and insights.
Erin Babinsky is an AI researcher from Capital One, and Dr. Jia-Bin Huang is an associate professor from the Department of Computer Science at UMD.
This is a great opportunity to ask questions, network, and gain valuable perspectives to help you make informed decisions about your future. Pizza will be provided. To get an accurate headcount, please RSVP by Monday April 28. Hope to see you there! For questions, reach out to Erin Caporellie at erin.caporellie@capitalone.com.
Exponent Info Session: Learn About a Career in Consulting
Tuesday, April 29 | 2:00PM-3:00PM | Lee Building (2124) | Registration
Embark on a career that’s never boring. At Exponent, you’ll work on a variety of exciting projects, where you can flex your skills, collaborate, learn, and make a positive impact on people and communities. From day one, you will contribute to solving some of the most urgent and prominent engineering problems in the world. Come and learn from a panel of speakers, Jim Messina (Practice Director and Principal Scientist), Carrie Daniels (Senior Managing Scientist), and Paola Chrysostomou (Managing Scientist).
Spots are limited, and don't miss this great opportunity for PhD students and Postdocs to learn more and network in person! Snacks will be provided. All levels of PhD students and Postdocs in STEM are welcome.
DC Climate Week: National Job Fair
Wednesday, April 30 | 9:00AM-5:00PM | The Square (Washington, DC) | Registration | Suitable
This dynamic in-person event offers professionals across various sectors — such as science, communications, technology, finance, policy, and more — the chance to grow their careers, connect with industry leaders, and gain valuable career development insights. This event is in-person, please only register if you intend to attend the event in-person.
Book Launch for Black Women Navigating The Doctoral Journey
Wednesday, April 30 | 5:00PM-7:00PM | ESJ Room 2204 | RSVP by Wednesday, April 23
With the increasing focus on the critical importance of mentoring in advancing Black women students from graduation to careers in academia, this book identifies and considers the peer mentoring contexts and conditions that support Black women student success in higher education.
Join for the launch of the latest book, “Black Women Navigating the Doctoral Journey: Student Peer Support, Mentorship, and Success in the Academy.” There will be a special reception where you can mingle with fellow book lovers, enjoy light refreshments, and meet the authors in an engaging discussion!
BEST Symposium - Building Engineering & Science Talent
Monday-Wednesday, July 28-30 | Virtual | Deadline to Apply: April 30, 2025 | Suitable
BEST Symposium is an industrial research career conference sponsored by Dow and aimed at underrepresented U.S. doctoral and postdoctoral scientists. Dow invites outstanding doctoral and postdoctoral scientists to apply.
Salary Negotiation
Thursday, May 1 | 3:00PM | Virtual | Registration | Suitable
Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health presents its 2025 Professional Development Webinar Series. This webinar brings you “Salary Negotiations” presented by Laura Rusnak, MPH, CPH, CHES from the Tau Chapter at University of South Florida College of Public Health.
PhD Career Conference
Monday-Friday, May 5-9 | 12:00PM-12:45PM | Virtual | Registration (replays available for registrants) | Suitable
Beyond the Professoriate will host its 12th Annual PhD Career Conference. This popular conference series has helped nearly 20,000 doctoral students, PhDs, and faculty build careers beyond the professoriate.
Beyond Prof’s annual career conference is designed to help PhDs quickly learn how to build a foundation for your job search strategy. Join in for a week of webinars, each designed to show doctoral students and postdocs what it takes to successfully build a non-academic career as a PhD.
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May 5: What employers actually value about your degree
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May 6: How to write a resume
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May 7: How to network when you don’t have a network
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May 8: Using LinkedIn in your job search
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May 9: How to find jobs that will give you stability / Navigating job market uncertainty
Rest, Reflect, & Rise: A Social Wellness Event for Scholars
Friday, May 9 | 11 :00AM-3:00PM | STAMP (TerpZone) | RSVP by May 2, 2025 | Suitable
This is a wonderful opportunity for graduate students and postdocs across the University System of Maryland to take a break, recharge, and connect with peers in a fun and supportive environment. This event is designed to promote community, connection, and well-being among scholars through a variety of engaging wellness activities, including: Mindful Tea Workshop, Mindful Moments Walk, R&B Yoga, and Community-Building Activities (Bowling, Line Dancing 101, & Spades Tournament).
Academic Job Document Retreat
Tuesday-Thursday, June 3-5 | 9:30AM-3:30PM | 4th Floor of McKeldin Library | Deadline to Apply: May 18, 2025 | Suitable
Planning on graduating in the next academic year (Fall 2025-Spring 2026) and pursuing an academic position in higher education or a postdoctoral position? Join the Graduate School's Center for Writing and Oral Communication and the Office of Career & Professional Development for a three-day retreat. You will learn more about the job application process, hear from faculty who have been on search committees and students/postdocs who have recently accepted offers. The retreat will cover the purpose and variety of documents you may need to apply for an academic position, and you’ll have time to draft, edit, and receive feedback on your materials before the 2025-2026 announcements.
Graduate Research Talks
Elevate your research profile with ease! We're kickstarting our Research Presentation Series—a low-stress, relaxed environment designed for you to practice and perfect your 10-minute research presentation. Don't miss this opportunity to showcase your work, receive valuable feedback from peers, and enhance your presentation skills. Secure your spot now by filling out the Google Form —because practice makes presentations perfect!
Are You Interested in Startups?
Calling for all graduate students who want to learn more about startups!
As a student-run startup incubator and co-working space at UMD, Startup Shells is looking for graduate students who have interest in entrepreneurship or want to get involved in building new ideas. The organization is a community open to all students and majors, and provides the student entrepreneurship community with the space, resources, and network to explore ideas, collaborate, and scale their ventures.
Join a culture of innovation that produces the next generation of venture-scale companies by connecting the most innovative builders, creators, and designers here at UMD. See upcoming events and follow Startup Shells on Instagram (on-campus space: IDEA Factory).
Commencement Ceremony
Are you about to complete your degree? Visit the Commencement Ceremony page for all the times, dates, procedures and guest information you need.
Student Societies
The Clark School supports more than 30 active student societies, such as the Engineering Student Council, departmental honor and professional societies and special interest organizations.
Graduate School Writing Center
The Graduate School Writing Center offers support for graduate students at every stage of their development as academic and professional communicators who can, in turn, fulfill the university’s mission of sharing research, educational, cultural, and technological strengths with the broader community.
The Center offers:
- Writing and oral communication consultations
- A variety of workshop and weekly write-ins
- Writing Groups
- English editing for international graduate students
- Information on how to use sources in your writing
- Resources for writing in your, or another, discipline
- Resources for writing in a specific linguistic or cultural context
Embedded Counselor for Maryland Engineering
The Embedded Counselor is a licensed mental health professional employed by the Counseling Center. As such, all mental health services provided by the Embedded Counselor are confidential and follow Counseling Center policies (visit the Counseling Center FAQs page for more information).
The Embedded Counselor works specifically for Maryland Engineering, tailoring services and programs to the unique needs of engineering students. Information about additional Counseling Center services, resources, and programs is available at counseling.umd.edu. Urgent services are available to students in person at the Shoemaker Building during business hours or by phone at (301) 314-7651 outside of business hours.
University Counseling Center
The University Counseling Center provides comprehensive support services that promote the personal, social, and academic success of UMD students.
Resources:
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The Counseling Center is offering a number of counseling groups specifically geared toward graduate students. These groups are a great way to connect with others, learn about yourself, improve your mental health, and receive support. This semester groups will take place virtually. An intake appointment is required to participate in the groups. The groups are free to registered graduate students. If graduate studen ts are interested in any groups, please contact the counseling center at 301-314-7651 to schedule an intake appointment. The services are free to graduate students. The schedule of the upcoming group sessions can be accessed at this page.
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The Counseling Center is hosting drop-in virtual workshops on a wide range of topics (Coping Skills, Academic Success, Relationships and Communication, Resilience and Adaptability) to support your health and wellbeing. More information can be found here.
The Health Center has daily online meditation groups which vary in topic. Students can go to health.umd.edu/meditation to register for the groups and learn more about the meditation sessions.
UMD National Scholarships Office
The UMD National Scholarships Office and the Graduate School have experienced staff and hold information sessions to help students explore various fellowship opportunities. Many students found the application process a valuable experience, and if awarded, the external fellowships not only help augment the resources and provide flexibilities to the graduate research of the fellows, but also provide additional peer and mentoring networks with potentially lasting impact on the fellows' career development.
Prospective and early-career doctoral students:
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NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) - 3 years of full support for PhD studies, with an annual stipend of $34,000, in science, math, engineering, and social/behavioral science fields.
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DoD National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship
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Hertz Graduate Fellowship
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Ford Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship (info)
Mid-career graduate students:
UMD External Fellowships Database
University of Illinois Fellowship Finder
Proposal Development Services for Graduate Students and Postdocs
If you are planning to submit an external fellowship application to support your research, please reach out to discuss how we can support you at proposals@umd.edu, or submit your PDM support request here! The Research Development Office is excited to partner with the Graduate School to provide free Proposal Development and Management (PDM) services to Graduate Students and Postdocs seeking external fellowships of $10,000 or more to support their research. Our team works with students and postdocs year-round on an individual basis to Strategize, Develop, Review, and Elevate proposals.
Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities
Johns Hopkins University Vice President for Research Denis Wirtz has compiled a list of funding opportunities for researchers. As of Fall 2022, there are over 380 items search through. The list can be found by clicking here.
Graduate School Professional and Career Development Office
The Graduate School has launched a Professional and Career Development office for current doctoral students. Get started looking into their services and events here. Other quick links:
Clark School Career Services for Engineering Students
Find more here about:
- Finding an Internship or Job
- Meeting Employers
- Increasing Your Employability
- Getting Career Advice
- You're Hired, Now What?
