As a graduate student at the Clark School, you'll find an outstanding faculty, a friendly environment, close proximity to the cultural amenities of Washington, D.C., state-of-the-art laboratories and computing resources, and excellent assistance in and opportunities for employment.
The school offers both full-time master and doctoral programs and programs for working professionals.
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
New York City Postdoc Recruitment Event
Wednesday, January 15 | 1:00PM-5:00PM | Virtual | Register by November 15
Discover unique postdoctoral training opportunities in New York City, a global hub for cutting-edge research, at this exceptional event highlighting three medical institutions: Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
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Connect with current postdoctoral trainees and gain insight into their experiences
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Explore training programs, compensation, benefits, housing, and life in NYC
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Learn about professional develop programs designed to support your growth
Y-Combinator Founder @ Startup Shell
Friday, November 22 | 5:00PM-6:00PM | Startup Shell, 4462 Stadium Dr room 1101
Startup Shell is hosting alumni Sheller and Co-Founder/CEO of Manatee (YC S22), Bryan Houlton, as he sits down for a podcast-style interview with Fox Rothschild LLC partner Juliana Neelbauer!
Bryan Houlton founded and served as CEO of Manatee (YC S22), an interactive demo platform that help sales teams create no-code demos, which was later acquired by Navattic (YC W21). Join us at Shell as Bryan dives into topics such as funding, Y Combinator, selling a startup, pivoting, and comparing startup scenes across various cities.
Lunch and Learn with Julie Simmons
Tuesday, December 3 | 12:00PM-1:00PM | EGR-1131B (conference room inside Student Affairs Suite)
Join Women in Engineering for our final Lunch and Learn of the semester as we host Julie Simmons, Materials Science Engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division. Julie will be talking to us about her work and taking us through a day in the life of a battery safety engineer. Lunch will be provided! Register here.
Join Women in Engineering for WIE Unwind Self Care Night!
Tuesday, December 3 | 7:00PM-8:30PM | Oakland Hall Multipurpose Room
Take a break from studying for finals to join Women in Engineering for an evening of music, food, and DIY crafts. This will be our final WIE Connect event for the fall 2024 semester!
Food will be provided- RSVP required.
Using AI Tools to Advance Your Career Goals
Wednesday, December 4 | 4:00PM-5:00PM | Virtual | Registration
This session will focus on how to use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot to boost your career goals. Whether where you are in your career journey, you can leverage AI at different stages of your job search process. We will also learn about writing effective prompts, practice in real time, and discuss best practices as a group.
Summer & Winter 2024 Engineering Graduate Celebration
Thursday, December 5 | 4:30PM | Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building
All 2024 Summer & Winter Engineering Graduates are invited to participate in the Engineering School Summer & Winter Engineering Graduate Celebration that will take place on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 4:30 P.M in the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building. RSVP
Venture Capital 101 for Startups: Insights From Jim Pastoriza, TDF Ventures
December 10, 2024 | 2:00PM-3:00PM | Herbert Rabin Technology Advancement Building, Room 1100
We are excited to host a conversation with Jim Pastoriza, managing partner at TDF Ventures, a leading venture capital firm specializing in technology investments.
The landscape of startup financing is evolving with shifting market trends, innovative funding strategies, and increasing competition—understanding how to navigate the current climate is critical for entrepreneurs and founders.
Join Jim as he shares his unique insights into the world of venture capital, including:
- The state of startup financing today: challenges, opportunities, and trends shaping the market.
- What venture capitalists are looking for: key factors that drive investment decisions.
- How to engage effectively: best practices for positioning your company for success.
This event is co-hosted by Mtech Ventures and UM Ventures, College Park. Refreshments will be served at the event.
Registration!
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.
Opportunities current and future Clark School graduate students to compete, earn awards, or receive fellowships
Advising
As graduate student, your main source for advising is your department or program:
Parental Accommodation for Graduate Students
It is the policy of the Graduate School that all graduate assistants have the right to a 8-week paid absence for the birth or adoption of a child. To learn more about the academic policies and assistantship policies for graduate student parental leave, visit the Graduate School's policy page here.
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?
