Office of Multicultural Affairs Newsletter
February 2022 | C-Term | Spring 2022
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College of the Holy Cross
Black History Month Celebration
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Upcoming Campus Programs and Events
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- Thursday, February 17th at 7:00 PM EST
- Friday, February 18th at 12:00 PM EST
- Friday, February 18th at 5:00 PM EST
- Saturday, February 19th at 1:00 PM EST
- Saturday, February 19th at 6:00 PM EST
- Monday, February 21st at 5:00 PM EST
- Mosaic: Men of Color Support Group | RSVP Here
- Monday, February 21st at 7:00 PM EST
- Tuesday, February 22nd at 7:00 PM EST
- Wednesday, February 23rd at 12:00 PM EST
- Wednesday, February 23rd at 1:00 PM EST
- Thursday, February 24th at 7:00 PM EST
- Friday, February 25th at 10:00 AM EST
- Friday, February 25th at 12:00 PM EST
- Friday, February 25th at 5:00 PM EST
- Friday, February 25th at 7:00 PM EST
- Saturday, February 26th at 12:00 PM EST
- Saturday, February 26th at 6:00 PM EST
- Sunday, February 27th at 12:30 PM EST
- Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022
- Office of Multicultural Affairs sponsored programs and events.
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Touch of Africa
Friday, February 19, 2022
6:00 PM EST
Alden Hall |
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SAVE THE DATE
WPI Orchestra will perform at Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunday, February 20th at 2:30 PM EST. Trinity is located at the corner of Lancaster and Salisbury Streets across from the Worcester Art Museum. Refreshments will be served following the concert. |
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SAVE THE DATE
WPI NPHC Greek Showcase
Featuring the Greater Boston National Pan-Hellenic Council
Friday, February 25, 2022
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM EST
Rubin Campus Center Odeum
Register Here |
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Upcoming Holidays, Holy Days, and Commemorative Days
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- Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17)
- World Day of Social Justice (February 20)
- International Mother Language Day (February 21)
- Dominican Independence Day (February 27)
- February 2022 is observed as:
- Black History Month
- American Heart Month
- National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention
Happy Birthday to all of the February babies! |
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WPI News:
Higher Education News:
- How K-12 Book Bans Affect Higher Education | Some educators fear removing controversial books from the K-12 curriculum will harm student development and critical thinking—and rob them of the cultural capital colleges expect them to possess. (Inside Higher Ed)
- ‘Without Her Consent’ | Harvard University allegedly obtained a Title IX complainant’s outside mental health records, absent her permission. How could that be possible? (Inside Higher Ed)
- Diversity on the Rise Among College Presidents | Colleges hired a greater share of Black and other nonwhite leaders in the months after Black Lives Matter became a household term than they did before, Inside Higher Ed analysis shows. Is the shift meaningful, and will it last? (Inside Higher Ed)
- Racist Text Messages Create Stir at Occidental College | Anti-Asian text messages shared on social media have created turmoil at Occidental College. Students are angered by the administration’s delayed response and lack of disciplinary action. (Inside Higher Ed)
- Not Only in the NFL | The underrepresentation of Black head coaches in college sports is unacceptable, Shaun R. Harper writes. (Inside Higher Ed)
- Colleges Follow States on Lifting Mask Mandates | Several states have announced plans to lift mask mandates, and public colleges are following suit. Some mask requirements ended immediately, while others will remain in place for weeks. (Inside Higher Ed)
- Is ‘Race Fatigue’ Setting in? Senior Diversity Leaders Weigh in (Diverse Issues In Higher Education)
- A Black Woman on the Bench, "Long Overdue" (Diverse Issues In Higher Education)
- What The College Transparency Act May Mean for Higher Ed (Diverse Issues In Higher Education)
- Report: College Equity Gaps for LA’s Black and Latinx Students (Diverse Issues In Higher Education)
- Higher Education Benefits Heart Health for All, But Less So for Blacks (The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education)
- Black First-Year Students at the Nation’s Leading Liberal Arts Colleges (The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education)
- Ed Department drops Title IX investigation of BYU's treatment of LGBTQ students (Higher Ed Dive)
- As bomb threats keep targeting HBCUs, 64 higher ed groups tell Congress to act (Higher Ed Dive)
- A decade after enrolling, 60% of college students earn more than high school graduates (Higher Ed Dive)
- How colleges can provide strong mental health supports in 5 steps | With 'students in the struggle', it is imperative that institutions listen to them and offer a robust suite of resources. (University Business)
Local/State/National/International News:
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Mental Health, Wellness, Self-Care, and Mindfulness
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Mosaic: Men of Color Support Group
Current events may be hard to grapple with as multiple historically Black colleges and universities faced bomb threats, Minneapolis police fatally shot Amir Locke, and many states and districts continue to ban teaching inclusive books and talking about race. Amidst these aggressions, we want to remind Black educators to practice self-care—and all educators to elevate the importance of Black students’ experiences and their mental health. These resources can help. (Learning For Justice)
Virtual Mindful Wednesdays and Thursdays
- Mindfulness Wednesdays and Thursdays will be conducted virtually through Zoom for the foreseeable future and will not be held in person.
- The Wednesday session begins at 12:15 PM EST and the Thursday session begins at 2:15 PM EST.
- Sessions include a 10 – 15 meditation with time for questions or comments.
- Please email Robin Benoit for more information.
Live Guided Meditation | hosted by Meditation Breaks
- Immerse yourself in the benefits of meditation and mindfulness. This live online meditation class hosted by Meditation Breaks provides a wide array of easy to learn mindfulness teachings and techniques aimed at transforming your life -- including stress relief, increasing happiness, living in the moment, and much more.
- Great for people looking to learn how meditation can help them in daily life and for those interested in maintaining a regular meditation practice.
- Note: times are Wednesdays at 8:30 PM EST.
Institutions and Meaning Group (coming in D-Term)
Thursdays at 3:00 PM EST (beginning March 17th)
Student Development and Counseling Center (SDCC) Group Meeting Room
12 Einhorn Road
Open to students who have themselves personally or through someone close to them experienced contact with institutions such as the foster care system, adoption, residential treatment, group homes, the criminal justice system, correctional facilities, or inpatient psychiatric treatment. A place for students who want to talk with others who have had diverse experiences with institutions to explore the meaning of their experiences.
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Mental Health Training Webinars
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A Systemic Approach to Support Black Student Mental Health
Monday, February 28, 2022
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EST
Register Here |
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Student Mental Health Matters
Join Learning for Justice for a webinar about student mental health—and why it matters. Cohosted by Dr. Charles Barrett, Chair for the National Association of School Psychologists Multicultural Affairs Committee, this webinar will focus on challenges students face regarding mental health, including how those challenges can vary depending on their intersecting identities. We will also share examples of what schools and districts are doing to address these challenges. Finally, you will learn about tools and strategies for your own classroom and school community. (Learning For Justice) |
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Part II Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Minority College Students
In this episode, we replay part two of the Diverse Talk Live! webcast, "Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Minority College Students." In case you missed it, tune in as the panel of experts return to look at campus climate policies after the surge of Omicron and how they relate to the mental health and health-seeking behaviors in minoritized students. Listen in as they propose supplemental resources for faculty who are on the front line and discuss what we can do at the campus and institutional level to better support student mental health and connect students to services who are disproportionately under-utilizing formal treatment avenues. (Diverse Issues In Higher Education)
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Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Minority College Students
In this episode we replay the December 7th Diverse Talk Live! webcast, "Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Minority College Students." In case you missed it, listen in as a panel of experts evaluate and advise on how higher ed institutions can best address the mental health needs of minority students — particularly as they grapple with a myriad of challenges including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide flashpoint on systemic racism, punctuated by the recent guilty verdicts of the individuals charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. (Diverse Issues In Higher Education)
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LGBTQIAP+ Resources and Support
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Read, Watch, Listen, and Learn
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Articles:
Films and Television:
- Residence Life Cinema (SWANK Motion Pictures, Inc.)
- Alcohol Awareness
- Asian Pacific Islander History and Culture
- Black History and Culture
- Constitution Day
- Disabilities
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Earth Day
- Hispanic History and Culture
- International
- LGBTQ+ Pride
- Social Relevance
- National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
- National Native American Heritage Month
- Women's History Month
- Women's Studies
- World AIDS Day
- Anyone on WPI Wi-Fi can access free streaming services at cinema.wpi.edu.
Podcasts:
Books:
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Unlearn misconceptions about the Holocaust.
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Whoopi Goldberg’s Holocaust comments inaccurately claimed that the genocide of millions of Jews was not about race.
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Jewish people were labeled as an “inferior race” by the Nazis, echoing similar eugenicist beliefs held in the U.S. during that time.
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In reality, Jewish identities extend beyond static definitions of race, nationality, religion and ethnicity.
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The Problem with Erasing Race from the Holocaust
Anti-Racism Daily
American Eugenics and the Nazi Regime | The Eugenics Crusade
Learn how the American eugenics movement influenced Adolf Hitler and his policies and ultimately contributed to the Holocaust in these videos adapted from American Experience | The Eugenics Crusade. Use this resource to examine how sterilization laws written to “better” a society paved the way to mass murder.
Trigger Warning! This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some participants.
Go beyond trauma and struggle to examine the liberation, civic engagement, creativity and intersecting identities of Black people during Black History Month.
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Voter Education and Registration
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Massachusetts Primary Election
Tuesday, November 20th
Election Day 2022
Tuesday, November 8th
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) are non-partisan entities and do not support or oppose any political candidate or party.
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Featured Podcast:
Black History Month Film Festival
February 1 – 28, 2022
Now in its second year, the Boston Globe's Black History Month Film Festival will honor and celebrate the lives, culture, and creativity of Black Americans through film. Join us for virtual screenings of new and classic works including 'Moonlight,' 'Love Jones,' 'A Beautiful Resistance,' and more. Each screening will be followed by a virtual panel discussion with Globe writers and editors, filmmakers, and community voices.
Register Here
Massachusetts: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links
City of Worcester Election Commission
Worcester Democratic City Committee
Worcester Republican City Committee
Worcester Independent Socialist Group
City of Worcester Diverse Business Directory
PFLAG of Greater Worcester
AIDS Project Worcester
Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts
African Community Organization (ACE)
Nipmuc Nation
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) does not endorse nor sponsor any of the above-mentioned groups, organizations, or entities.
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Student Jobs and Internships
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Connections Pre-Orientation Program (August 2022)
The Program Ambassadors (PA) are valued members of the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) who are trained to provide peer-to-peer leadership and support for students who participate in the Connections experience at Worcester Polytechnic institute (WPI). Program Ambassadors serve as peer educators who engage our newest WPI scholars in various aspects of their first year at WPI as they transition into college. Program Ambassadors also serve as positive role models within the community, aid in student support initiatives, encourage personal growth in their peers, and provide leaving experiences to ensure student success. Eligible sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students are trained by OMA staff to facilitate success programs, multicultural and cross-cultural activities, academic support services, and intergroup dialogues for their peer community. Program Ambassadors must be self-starters, who are well-organized and committed to assisting students experiencing the transition to college; committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; and committed to the success of underrepresented student populations at WPI. This position reports directly to the Office of Multicultural Affairs professional staff (Director, Associate Director, Assistant Director, and Administrative Assistant).
Apply Here
The Lead Program Ambassadors (Lead PA) are valued members of the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) who are trained to provide peer-to-peer leadership and support for the Peer Ambassador (PA) team as well as students who participate in the Connections experience at Worcester Polytechnic institute (WPI). Lead PAs provide guidance and mentorship to the Program Ambassador team and supports PAs in their efforts to engage our newest WPI scholars in various aspects of their first year at WPI as they transition into college. Lead PAs assists the PAs with carrying out their duties and responsibilities, building community among the team, and building a sense of community and belonging for all Connections participants. Lead PAs also serve as positive role models within the community, aid in student support initiatives, encourage personal growth in their peers, and provide leaving experiences to ensure student success. Eligible juniors, seniors, and graduate students are trained by OMA staff to facilitate PA training and development, success programs, multicultural and cross-cultural activities, academic support services, and intergroup dialogues for their peer community. Lead PAs must be self-starters, who are well-organized and committed to assisting students experiencing the transition to college; committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; and committed to the success of underrepresented student populations at WPI. This position reports directly to the Office of Multicultural Affairs professional staff (Director, Associate Director, Assistant Director, and Administrative Assistant).
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WooSox Virtual Job Fair
Saturday, February 19, 2022
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM EST
Register Here |
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Professional Development Opportunities
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Let's Blaxit: A Black Panel On Working Globally And How Seeing The World Leads To Self-Discovery
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM EST
Register Here |
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Youth Leadership SummitOur Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) is a multi-day leadership development program for high-achieving undergraduate college students from a variety of disciplines who are dedicated to addressing issues impacting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
For the third year, the summit will take place VIRTUALLY. Young advocates from across the country will have a unique opportunity to collaborate with peers, as well as learn from and network with national leaders. Read about our Fall 2021 class and alumni projects.
Our 10th annual YLS will be held entirely online in late April. Applicants will be notified of their status by the end of March 2022. Apply now!
Application Deadline is Thursday, March 3rd.
APPLY NOW!
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Bystander Intervention to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment
February - June 2022
Various Days of the Week
Register Here
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Brotherhood Leadership Conference: A Brotherhood for Success
Saturday, March 5, 2022
Worcester State University
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM ESTOn March 5, 2022, Worcester State University will be hosting the “Brotherhood Leadership Conference” for ALANA/BIPOC men in our greater community.
Workshop Sessions Include:
- Leadership Lessons
- The State of Our Men’s Health
- ALANA/BIPOC Entrepreneurship
- Dress for Success
- Unlocking Your True Potential
- Self-Change: My Triumph & Perseverance
- A Sense of Belonging: Equity, Inclusion, & Beyond
- Combating Racial Battle Fatigue
- Building an Equitable and Liberating Mindset
- The Unseen: Why Students of Color Need Visible Communities of Care?
- Additional Presentation by TRILL OR NOT TRILL - Dr. Jeff Dess & Dr. Lenny Williams featured on CBS, FOX New York, TedX, The Boston Globe, Ebony Magazine, Black Enterprise, The Root
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Education Now | The Transition from High School to College for the Pandemic Generation
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
Register Here
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Intersectionality Identified
Thursday, March 24, 2022
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST
Register Here |
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Latinx Leads Student Leadership Virtual Conference
Friday, March 25 - Saturday, March 26, 2022
The overarching goal of the Latinx Leads Conference is to help students become stronger leaders and allies to the Latinx community by practicing inclusion in their organizations and campuses. The Conference empowers them to create a more accepting, equitable environment, and preparing them to work effectively in a diverse workplace. Participants will explore the history and roots of the Latinx community, examine where they are currently, and look to their future.
Email multiculturalaffairs@wpi.edu if you are interested in attending. We will cover your registration fee.
Register Here |
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Black Students Lead Virtual Conference
Saturday, April 9, 2022
The overarching goal of the Black Students Lead Conference (BSL) is to help students become stronger leaders and allies to the Black community by practicing inclusion in their organizations and campuses. The Conference empowers them to create a more accepting, equitable environment, and preparing them to work effectively in a diverse workplace. Participants will explore the history and roots of the Black community, examine where they are currently, and look to their future.
Email multiculturalaffairs@wpi.edu if you are interested in attending. We will cover your registration fee.
Register Here |
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United Collegiate Women's Leadership Conference (UCWLC)
Saturday, April 16, 2022
The United Collegiate Women’s Leadership Conference is an interactive transformational experience where women from all walks of life come together to understand the authentic leader they have within themselves, while preparing them to tackle critical issues facing their campus and larger communities. Women often are socialized to believe that exerting themselves means they are bossy, or that being quiet means they are shy. Issues of systemic misogyny creates a dynamic where women often are left competing against one another, or believing that one woman’s shine can diminish another’s. The truth is that united women are more likely to be successful. Women should not have to choose which of their identities they are going to lead with in their personal and professional lives. At UCWLC, we believe it’s all for one, and one for all. UCWLC creates a space that is high-energy, empowering and designed to create a transformational experience.
Email multiculturalaffairs@wpi.edu if you are interested in attending. We will cover your registration fee.
Register Here |
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Intersectionality Identified
Saturday, March 26, 2022
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST
Register Here |
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National Student Leadership Diversity Virtual Conference
Saturday, April 30, 2022
The National Student Leadership Diversity Convention is the largest national gathering of student leaders and campus based advisors to address the most critical topics of diversity and social justice challenging our campuses today. Through experiential workshops, keynote sessions, and round table discussions teams of students will explore various elements of diversity and how they affect themselves and their campuses. During the conference students will be led through facilitated workshops to develop a Campus Action Plan for a program or event that the teams selects to work on together on in order to bring back a piece of the NSLDC experience to their own campuses.
Email multiculturalaffairs@wpi.edu if you are interested in attending. We will cover your registration fee.
Register Here |
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Scholarship Opportunities
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Summer Research and Fellowship Opportunities
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Early Research Experience in E-Term
The Early Research Experience in E Term (EREE) program offers a first research experience to interested students who have not yet had an authentic research experience. We will provide current first and second-year students an initial immersive research experience with a WPI faculty mentor. The goal of this program is to create pathways to deep and meaningful research experiences in STEM fields for undergraduate students, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM including underrepresented minorities, first-generation students, transfer students, and women.This research experience provides students with the following:
- The opportunity to participate in summer research early in their academic career
- A paid research experience ($4000 over 10 weeks)
- Close mentoring with a faculty member and graduate mentor
- Preparation for additional research opportunities at WPI and beyond
- Information and advice about future graduate research and career opportunities
- Weekly professional development workshops
Program details:
- The 2022 program will be held in-person in labs on the WPI campus
- The program runs June through August 2022
- Students paid to work 40-hours per week
- Weekly professional development workshops for all cohort team members
- Students will showcase their work in a presentation at the end of the summer
Student application process:
- Application available the week of February 1, 2022
- Application due Sunday, March 13, 2022
- Elements of the application that students should prepare ahead of time:
- Students will identify three (3) projects of interest from the EREE 2021 Faculty Submissions
- Write a resume – Need help? Contact the CDC for a virtual resume-writing appointment!
- Academic transcript – Need help? Instructions here.
- Gather contact information (names and e-mail addresses) for 2 professional or academic references (at least 1 must be from WPI). Make sure you ask for a reference!
- Agree to participate in the weekly professional development workshops
- Answer this reflection question:
- Each student brings a diverse set of skills and experiences (technical and non-technical) to a research group. Please describe three skills that you can bring to a new research group and three skills that you would like to learn or improve upon through a research experience. (Please limit your response to 300 words)
- The student application will be available the week of February 1, 2022.
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Hydrogen Research Experience for Undergraduates: A Convergent Approach on Traineeship towards Realizing H2 Economy
Our H2 REU aims to educate undergraduate students on hydrogen technologies through a convergent approach involving mentoring in interdisciplinary engineering research, teaching environmental policies and law, and engagement in real-world industrial practices.
Participants will gain an understanding of the current state-of-the-art hydrogen technologies and the challenges hindering their implementation, and will be inspired to work on finding solutions to address those challenges in their professional careers.
Apply Today! Accepting application until Sunday, February 20, 2022
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Engineering PLUS stEm PEER (Practitioners Enhancing Engineering Regionally) Academy
The stEm PEER Academy will investigate the following topics:
- Understanding the Engineering Education Pathway Landscape with emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
- Models and interventions that work for women and BIPOC students to enroll and facilitate degree attainment.
- Building partnerships/engagement of stakeholders.
- Planning, implementing and assessing, and scaling the Capstone project.
Key Dates
- Applications: Open Tuesday, January 18, 2022
- Deadline: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
- Notification: Accepted applicants will be notified no later than Friday, April 1, 2022.
- Orientation: Attend a virtual Orientation, TBD
- Institute: Attend the June 5-9: Week-long PEER Academy Boston, MA (In-person/Covid permitting)
- Monthly: Attend virtual ½ day sessions and complete required program updates (specific dates/times to be determined)
- Required Documents: Resume, 2 Recommendations and essay in response to the following question: “What is one evidence-based strategy or program that you believe has the potential to be most beneficial for this population of students? How could you implement this strategy or program to your own institution?”
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The Materials-focused Undergraduate Research Applied to the Life Sciences (MURALS) REU Program is recruiting undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to participate in a 10-week long research experience from June 20th through August 26th, 2022. MURALS REU students will leverage the scientific expertise, infrastructure and programs in the College of Engineering and Institute of Applied Life Sciences (IALS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to conduct research at the intersection of materials and the life sciences. Deadline: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Apply Here |
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- The Graduate Student and Training Readiness Sessions - STARS - is an annual series of workshops organized by the Office of Graduate Studies that provides overviews on important career and professional development topics.
- STARS workshops in 2021-2022 will be on campus in Gateway I Room 1002 (60 Prescott Street) and will be held from 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST. Registration links will be provided below for each session.
- Friday, February 18, 2022 - Job Searches/Interviews
- Friday, March 18, 2022 - Negotiation and Conflict Management
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OMA Staff Virtual Office Hours
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CRC Chaplain Student Hours
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Academic Support Services
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WPI Multicultural, Intercultural, International, and Religious Community
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Campus Advocacy Resources
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- Dean of Students | Student resources for advocacy, citizenship, empowerment, inclusion, respect, and support
- Office of International Student Life (ISL) | Student resources for international support, education, community, and advocacy
- Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) | Student resources for accommodation services, advocacy, support, and assistance
- Title IX | Student resources for anti-discrimination policy and equal opportunity education
- Student Development and Counseling Center (SDCC) | Student resources for counseling, therapy, and mental health/wellness
- Graduate Student Government (GSG) | Student resources for addressing the social and academic needs of graduate students
- Student Government Association (SGA) | Student resources for addressing the social and academic needs of undergraduate students
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Additional Support and Resources
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(OMA newsletter is distributed on Wednesdays weekly)
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